Census
Census records : 1841-1911 and 1939 Register
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June 6th |
The information is fairly basic. No streetname nor marital status is shown and the birthplace only shows whether the person was born in Leicestershire or another county. The enumerator was James Attenborrow, who is shown in the census for Hathern north, entry 54 with wife Alice. In the 2 enumeration disticts (north and south) there were 265 households and other buildings. Of these about 80% were born in Leics. Note the use of F.W.K. as the abbreviation for framework knitter. On this census only the ages of persons 15 and above were rounded down - e.g ages 15-19 were shown as 15, ages 20-24 were shown as 20.Editor's notes : (i) the "sch. no." given for each household has been added by me to purely for referencing puposes). (ii) the date of birth was not shown on the census schedule, it is derived from the age. In this census the usual big preponderance of farm workers and FWKs is shown but of extra interest is persons listed as "independent" means, for instance the rector, ETM Phillips and his 4 daughters with 5 servants, and ,nearby, Edward Vaughan, clergyman, with 4 other independent persons from Scotland and elsewhere along with 5 servants. Example of schedule. |
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March 30th |
In the 2 enumeration disticts (north and south) there were 276 households and other buildings. Street names are shown along with the actual place where the person is born ; this information was required to answer one of the burning questions, the rate of migration from rural to urban areas. Hathern North starts at the Turn, then turns straight into Church Street (Wide Lane not yet named) then onto the Green with a small detour for the single residence in Pasture Lane, then again on Church Street to the Cross onto the Dovecote before finishing at 3 households in "House in the field". Hathern North starts at Tanners Lane, proceeds up the Dovecote to Derby Road (Wide Street not yet named) taking in Golden Square before finishing at the Dovecote and High Field. The 1851 census was the first to record each person's marital status and relationship to the head of the household. Each individual's exact age was also recorded (to the nearest year). Much greater detail was asked about people's occupations than in previous censuses. This enabled government analysis of occupations into "classes" and "sub-classes". Masters in trade and manufacture were asked to state the word "master" after the description of their occupation and to state the number of men employed on the day of the census. Hosiery workers dominate the census - in Golden Square alone, of the 130 workers, an amazing 114 were hosiery workers, spread equally amongst men and women and involving children as young as 9. Example of schedule. |
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April 7th |
The 1861 format of the census was identical to the 1851 census, despite pressures for 'religious affiliation' questions to be included. This suggestion was rejected at the time. In the 2 enumeration districts there were 284 households and other buildings.Hathern North starts at the Turn (note the name "The Royal Arms") and continues down Wide Lane, past the 3 Crowns to Church Street, down Green Hill to the Green, Pasture Lane (now 2 houses) and into Cross Street, Narrow Lane, Dovecote Street and Wide Street, finishing at Hathern Hill (Lodge). Hathern South starts on Derby Road (Richard Christian, farmer and Lodge Keeper) and proceeds via the Leys to the Anchor Inn and Anchor Lane, down Wide Street to Tanners lane before moving back along Derby Road to Golden Square before finishing at the only 2 residences in Shepshed Road (Harriman's Field and Swingler's Field). This is first census to show the National School and School House in Cross Street, the school having been established 10 years earlier. The resident headmaster John Barnacle is shown. Example of schedule. |
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April 2nd |
No change in information, although no street names were shown on Hathern South entries. In the 2 enumeration districts there are 292 households and other buildings. . Hathern North iss described as part of the parish which lies north of the road leading from Shepshed to Hathern including the eastern side from Narrow Lane to the Dovecote, Hathern Turn, Glebe Farm and Dawson's Lodge. Hathern South is the remaining part which lies south of the road from Shepshed to Hathern including the Square to the Dovecote, Loughborough Road, Tanners Lane, Swingler's Barn and Harriman's Barn.For the first time scholars are identified - over 180 of them in the village. The schoolmaster is the much respected James H Lammas from Limehouse London then 29 living with his wife Elizabeth. Example of schedule. |
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April 3rd |
No change in information. In the 2 enumeration districts there are 284 households and other buildings. The enumerators were Henry Whittle (North) and Henry Simpkin (South). In this census we see first appearance of The Stints, Victoria Terrace, and the Leys. Example of schedule |
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April 5th |
No change in information. In the 2 enumeration districts there are 285 households and other buildings. In this census we see first appearance of Gladstone Street. The enumerator of Hathern South was again Henry Simpkin. Example of schedule |
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March 31st |
Additional information about occupation was recorded - whether the person was an employer, a worker or worked on own account. and whether the person was working from home. Other information collected (but not shown on transcription) was no. of rooms if less than 5. Also collected but not shown on the transcribed records here was disability (deaf and dumb, blind, lunatic or feeble minded). The whole village was now a single enumeration district with 265 actual households and approx. 30 uninhabited. The enumerator again was Henry Simpkin. Example of schedule. |
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April 2nd |
Extra information added is number of rooms, and the number of children in total and number still alive. By this stage occupations have become a lot more varied though a considerable number of people are still in hosiery. In Golden Square for example just less than half are occupied in hosiery. Quite a few work at the Hathern brickyard working with terra cotta, others at the Woodyard. The total number of households and buildings rose to 302. Example of household return. |
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Sept 29th |
At the start of WW2 enumerators were charged with visiting every household in Britain to collect names, addresses, marital status and other key details of every civilian, at the same time issuing identity cards on the spot. This is a particularly valuable document because the 1931 census was destroyed in an air raid and the 1941 census was never taken.The identity cards issued were essential items from the point the Register was taken right up until 1952, when the legal requirement to carry them ceased. Until that point, every member of the civilian population had to be able to present their card upon request by an official (children’s cards were looked after by parents), or bring them to a police station within 48 hours. The reasons were numerous – it was essential to know who everyone was, of course, and to track their movements as they moved house, as well as to keep track of the population as babies were born and people passed away. |
During the C19th, various publishers produced books every few years for each county, which included the geography and history of each town and village in the county, along with a list of the trades people. The various publications included Kelly's, Wright's, White's, Post Office and Bennett's. Picture is Henry Harriman's framesmith's factory on the Green mentioned in the 1894 Wright's gazetteer. The information provided is invaluable covering topics like the manorial connection, the parish church and village chapels, pubs, shopkeepers, farmers and tradesman, clubs and charities and population. From the residence menu at the top of this page you can see all the gazetteers already collected. There are more in the Records Office. 
