documentation - census data
|
THE 1881 CENSUS
In 1881 the census enumerators listed 392 separate households in Henfield, bounded by the Bull and Shiprods in the north to Streatham Manor in the south, and by the river Adur in the west and Hundred Steddle in the east. There were 1,893 individuals listed, of which 442 - children - were listed as 'scholar'. 615 people had no occupation given, and these were mainly the wives and daughters of households. The most common occupations, with numbers (approximate) of individuals, were:
Agricultural labourers - 192
Bakers & Assistants - 4 Barmaids - 6 Blacksmiths - 10 Bricklayers & Assistants - 27 Butchers - 8 Carpenters & Apprentices - 21 Charwomen - 5 Coachmen - 6 Dressmakers - 24 Farm Bailiffs - 6 Farmers - 19 Gardeners, Domestic & Market - 50 General Labourers - 11 Grocers & Assistants - 20 Grooms - 8 |
Housekeepers - 12
Laundresses - 15 Inkeepers & Licensed Victuallers - 7 Millwrights - 9 Nurses - 10 Painters - 6 Pupil Teachers - 6 Railway Staff - 7 Saddlers - 3 Schoolteachers - 15 Servants - 58 Shoemakers & Cordwainers - 11 Tailors - 6 Watchmakers - 4 Wheelwrights & Apprentices - 5 |
Less numerous, but forming the 'gentry' of the village were the ministers, bankers, landed families and various individuals. A local JP was Dawson Borrer who lived at Red Oaks, and Adolphus Caudle in the High Street was the surgeon. William Challen, who gave his name to the corner of Golden Square, was the Relieving Officer and Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths - and his son John was his deputy. Marshall Bunney was the Stationmaster. The largest farm in acreage (472 acres) was run by John Thorn of Church Street, and the second largest farm was that of New Hall (430 acres), run by John Lear. Divie Robertson was the Vicar of Henfield, and the curates were Charles Dunlop and Alexander Nairne. Nathaniel Woodard, the 70-year old Canon of Manchester and founder of Lancing College and other schools, lived at Martyn Lodge in Church Street. Elizabeth Borrer was the head of the household at Potwell, and Eardley Hall of Barrow Hill was the magistrate.
I was curious to see how many of the heads of families in the village had been born in Henfield. This would give me one measure - albeit a fairly simplistic one - of the continuity of family names in Henfield. The results are as follows:
There were 129 men and women who were listed as the head of their family and who had given the village as their birthplace. The most common surnames, with number of occurrences were:
Browning - 10
Dale - 6
Davey - 4
Knight - 4
Vinall - 5
Ward - 5
Woolgar/Woolger - 6
Other long-standing Henfield names such as Chowne, Gander, Greenfield, Lelliott, etc., are also present.
The main farmers or market gardeners born in the village were: John Cutress (Blundens), George Greenfield (High Street), Henry Grower (Harwoods), Henry Longley (High Street), John Muzzall (Catsfold), Alfred Smith (Wantley House), John Standen (Henfield Common), Thomas Thorns (High Street) and Thomas Warden (Lashmars Hall). Nearly all the other heads of family were born in Sussex - many in close proximity to Henfield in places such as Ashurst, Beeding and Woodmancote.
Of the 1,893 people listed in the Census, 1,237 had been born in Sussex and, of those, 896 had been born in Henfield. In short, 35% of the villagers had been born outside Sussex - some indication of the growing movement of people from place to place in the mid-to-late 19th century.
I was curious to see how many of the heads of families in the village had been born in Henfield. This would give me one measure - albeit a fairly simplistic one - of the continuity of family names in Henfield. The results are as follows:
There were 129 men and women who were listed as the head of their family and who had given the village as their birthplace. The most common surnames, with number of occurrences were:
Browning - 10
Dale - 6
Davey - 4
Knight - 4
Vinall - 5
Ward - 5
Woolgar/Woolger - 6
Other long-standing Henfield names such as Chowne, Gander, Greenfield, Lelliott, etc., are also present.
The main farmers or market gardeners born in the village were: John Cutress (Blundens), George Greenfield (High Street), Henry Grower (Harwoods), Henry Longley (High Street), John Muzzall (Catsfold), Alfred Smith (Wantley House), John Standen (Henfield Common), Thomas Thorns (High Street) and Thomas Warden (Lashmars Hall). Nearly all the other heads of family were born in Sussex - many in close proximity to Henfield in places such as Ashurst, Beeding and Woodmancote.
Of the 1,893 people listed in the Census, 1,237 had been born in Sussex and, of those, 896 had been born in Henfield. In short, 35% of the villagers had been born outside Sussex - some indication of the growing movement of people from place to place in the mid-to-late 19th century.