Between 1750-1850, the wool industry in England was in a steady decline and poverty in rural areas was widespread. A lot of woollen mills closed down and many people moved off the land and into the larger townships and cities. The Clutterbucks from Bucketts Hill, Peter (1710-1777), his son, Thomas (1750-1796), and grandson, John (1789 - 1873), and their families all remained on the land, farming. It was a hard lifestyle but had its rewards.
During this time, the face of the dairy industry also began to change with the advent of the railways. This enabled fresh milk to be transported to the larger townships for sale, opening up a new revenue stream. Until then, fresh milk was considered of far less importance compared to the longer lasting butter and cheese products. Old Gloucester cattle were steadily moved aside in favour of Longhorns, Shorthorns and Holstein Friesians, which gave a higher milk yield.
In these early times, the Clutterbuck family’s tract of land stretched from Bucketts Hill in a long corridor that included heavily wooded areas all the way across to the Cotswolds. It became host to many a hunt over the years, for which the family were always paid handsomely.
John married Hester Rodway in Berkeley in 1818. Their eldest son, also named "John", and his descendants remained at the Bucketts Hill farm for generations to come. Their younger sons, Frederick and Thomas, born in 1822 (from whom we are descended), both moved a little further north to Fretherne.