John White was born in 1813, into several generations of tenant farmers. His grandfather William had Oxhey Hall farm near what is now South Oxhey, his father William had Appletree Farm near Chorleywood Common, and John had the adjoining Parsonage Farm, on the edge of Rickmansworth from at least 1839.

None owned their own land – as was usual, they were all tenants of the landowners.

All three farmhouses still stand. The farm fields have all now been built on.

John White kept a diary every day of his married and working life. We have the great priviledge of holding as many of the volumes as now exist, as well as a great deal of other information.

Discover some of the stories of Mr White and his family in these pages.

These pages, which are under construction and test, provide information to augment the display boards now being prepared for show in the museum.