Sugden Family - Emmerdale Farm

Emmerdale Farm

The Miffield estate was the biggest employer in the village of Beckindale, Emmerdale Farm was on the edge of the village and during the 1850s, the Crimean War was raging, during the war, Josh Sugden sacrificed his life to save Lord Miffield's son from death. Lord Miffield, out of gratitude for the great sacrifice, gave the Sugdens Emmerdale Farm which was a farm on the edge of Beckindale.

Josh Sugden's grandson was Joseph Sugden, who with his wife (Margaret) had a son, whom they called Jacob Sugden. Jacob married the daughter of farmer, Sam Pearson, she was called Annie Pearson and the two married in 1945 and one year later in 1946, Annie bore a son who they named John Sugden but who was called Jack for short. In 1948, Annie gave birth to a baby girl who went onto to be called Peggy Sugden, a year later Jacob got another son who they named Joseph Sugden and the family all lived and worked together at Emmerdale Farm in the farmhouse.

In 1964, when Jack was around the age of eighteen, he had a very heated argument with his father, Jacob. Jack wanted to get away from Beckindale and explore the outside world, Jack then left Beckindale for London, leaving the rest of the family to cope alone. Things became tough at Emmerdale, due to Jacob's continuing visits to the Woolpack drowning the hard money that the family had worked so hard for.