Edward John Littleton, who became Lord Hatheron and then the 1st Baron Hatherton PC, was a British politician from the extended Littleton/Lyttelton family. Through inheritance he had massive holdings in agricultural and residential property, coal mines, quarries and brick works. The family had long held huge tracts of land around Cannock Chase.

Baron Hatherton had a long political career. He was active in both of the Houses of Parliament over a period of forty years. He was closely involved in a number of major reforms, particularly Catholic Emancipation, the Truck Act of 1831, the Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832 and the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. Throughout his career he was actively concerned with the Irish question and he was Chief Secretary for Ireland between 1833 and 1834.

Yew Tree Farm formed part of the Littleton estate and between 1812 and 1850 he undertook substantial agricultural improvements to the estate, including draining and irrigation. These agricultural reforms are the background to the establishment of Yew Tree Farm. In 1825, the agent for the Littleton estate met the bricklayer and carpenter to lay out the farm buildings. The farmhouse itself having been built by that point. 

The summer of 1825 was incredibly dry giving the driest July ever. In 1843, a stationary threshing machine was installed in the existing corn barn This was powered by a water wheel, the water being piped from reservoirs, which are still visible to the northeast of the site. In 1863 the 360 acres of the Yew Tree farm was let to Charles Keeling at an annual rent of £353.

The 5th Baron Hatherton made large disposals of the remaining assets of his estates including in 1957 a sale of Yew Tree to the Parrot family. The Parrot’s sold it in 1987 to the Taylor family who were locally famed for their cake and bread shops.