By Richard Bryant
The 2021 Census has just been taken, but when did the censuses start and what can they tell us about our village in years past?
The Government ordered the first Census in 1801 and thereafter every ten years. The first thee Censuses were concerned with numbers; individuals’ basic details were not recorded until 1841. From 1851 onwards, the Census Returns gradually became more comprehensive, initially asking name, address, age, marital status, relationship to head of household, occupation and birth place. It also asked if the person was blind, deaf, dumb or a lunatic, and, in 1911, the number of main rooms in the dwelling. The information was collected by the Enumerator. Personal information contained in a Census is closed to the public for 100 years, meaning the last currently accessible returns are those completed in 1911. Looking at the Census returns for Lindfield from 1851 to 1911 gives a clear illustration of changes in society, occupation and the village when compared with Lindfield as we know it today.
Perhaps, the most striking changes relate to families and particularly the size of the household. There were few single person households and these were usually widows and widowers. Men and women co-habiting all declared themselves married and carried the same surname. The average number of children in a family was greater than today: four or five children was the norm and six or more was not uncommon. In the larger families, this resulted in the elder children having left school and started working before the last baby was born.
Looking at a random selection of entries across the period, in 1851 Thomas Botting, a 42-year-old pauper and his wife, had ten children ranging in ages from 20 years to one year, and the eldest sons were working as agricultural labourers. The family lived in a cottage in Kent Street, today the High Street end of Lewes Road. Close neighbours Martin and Faith Ellis, living in a similar cottage, had seven children, together with a lodger. He worked in a long-forgotten occupation as a higgler; a dealer trading in one-day-old chicks. In 1911, at the premises now occupied by Cottenhams, lived James Box, a master butcher, his wife Jane, and their ten children, together with two employees: the slaughter man and butcher’s assistant. Also noticeable is the number of dwellings shared by extended families; parents and their children, a spouse’s brother or sister and grandparents and, where space permitted, a lodger might be squeezed in.
Until Haywards Heath started to thrive as a town in the latter part of the 19th century, the Censuses show Lindfield was virtually a self-sufficient community with people living close to where they worked and most household and business needs were met within the village. There were numerous artisans, tradesmen and shopkeepers living and working in and around the High Street and Kent Street. These roads were the main part of the village prior to 1900.
The following is an illustrative selection of trades and occupations between 1851 and 1911. In 1851, Allen Davey lived and worked in Kent Street as a cordwainer employing his two sons as shoemakers and daughter, Lydia, as a shoe binder. An employer of many men in Lindfield between the 1850s and 1880s was Thomas Durrant’s Pianoforte manufactory, located at the site of today’s Medical Centre. Skilled jobs included piano makers, cabinet makers and French polishers. Thomas Durrant, the owner, lived in the High Street at Milwards.
Lydia, as a shoe binder. An employer of many men in Lindfield between the 1850s and 1880s was Thomas Durrant’s Pianoforte manufactory, located at the site of today’s Medical Centre. Skilled jobs included piano makers, cabinet makers and French polishers. Thomas Durrant, the owner, lived in the High Street at Milwards.
On the other side of the High Street in the house adjoining the bakery, latterly known as Humphreys, was Charles Mead, a tailor and his family of several tailors. At 4 Victoria Terrace in 1881, Louisa Allin and her two sisters ran a ‘Young Ladies School’, where, in addition to day girls, there were six borders aged between five and eight years. John Parker lived at The Poplars, Victoria Terrace, where he ran his watch making business employing two boys. The Holman family lived and ran a greengrocers and poulterer’s shop at Barnlands for many years.
Beyond the junction with Hickmans Lane was a grocers and drapers shop, run by George Bartholomew. This was one of several grocers and drapers, including Masters, on the Co-op site, and Durrants (Lindfield Eye Care). Everyndens was the home for many years of Dr Richard Fitzmaurice and family; he was the medical officer for Cuckfield Union and District Innoculator. Other doctors were Elliot Daunt in1891 at Pierpoint House and Dr Porter at the aptly-named Porters, and later Dr Alban.
In the yard behind the Bent Arms, Henry Packham lived with his family and employed two men in his wheelwright business. Also at the Bent Arms was Julius Guy, the coach maker. Across Brushes Lane, at Spongs, lived William Denman, a blacksmith; his forge can still be seen today.
At the cottage adjacent to Seckhams, in 1881 lived John Botting, a thatcher, and his wife, Eliza, a glove and leggings maker. Living at Froyles Cottage (today The Chantry) with her two daughters was Naomi Wells, who ran a dressmaking and milliner’s business.
In all the censuses, a major source of work was household work, which ranged from women working at home as laundresses to char women and day and live-in domestic staff, and, for men, work such as gardeners, grooms and coachmen. As the period progressed there was a gradual increase in prosperity, largely due to the opening of the London to Brighton railway line in 1841, leading to the building of villas on Black Hill and large houses around the outskirts. This resulted in a marked increase in the numbers working as live-in servants and outdoors employees, particularly gardeners. Every selfrespecting middle class family had at least one or two domestic servants. In 1891, Montague Turner, a solicitor residing at Milton House on Black Hill with his wife Augusta and their six young children, employed a child nurse, nurse maid, two house maids, an under house maid, footman and cook. This is modest when compared with Charles E Kempe, a 63-year-old single man living on his own at Old Place, who in 1901 employed 13 ‘live in’ domestic servants and outdoor staff. The roll call of jobs would not be out of place at ‘Downton Abbey’, there being housekeeper, cook, head housemaid, second and third housemaids, head kitchen maid, scullery maid, butler valet, first footman, second footman, hall man, coach man, head groom and finally second groom.
With the coming of the new century, new roads started to appear in the village. The Edwardian period also introduced motor cars and the new job of chauffeur. In 1911, Frederick Fulham, who lived at 2 Luxford Road, Albert Rix, at Hope Lea, Eastern Road, and Frank Walder, at Fairlight, were all employed as chauffeurs, the latter being Dr Alban’s driver who reputedly had the first car in Lindfield, previously he drove the doctor’s pony and trap. What will people notice about our village when the 2021 census is viewed in the future?
Contact Lindfield History Project Group via https://lindfieldhistoryproject.group/ or on 01444 482136.