Census shines a light on the past (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Census shines a light on the past

11:41am Tuesday 29th March 2011 in Memories

YESTERDAY, householders throughout England and Wales should have filled out their Census 2011 questionnaire.

There has been some debate about the relevance of the census and the way it is compiled.

But there is no doubt that past census records certainly have an important value to people like local history buff Bob Applin.

He has been working hard, going through the results of the Basingstoke census of 1851 and analysing the results for the Victoria County History Hampshire project, which is currently focusing on Basingstoke and its surrounding area.

Bob, who is a member of Basingstoke Archaeological and Historical Society and a volunteer at Milestones museum, said: “The first census was carried out in 1801 and they were done every 10 years onwards.

“But most of the records up to 1831 have been lost – there is nothing on Basingstoke.”

Records of the 1841 census showing Basingstoke still exist, but this was rushed nationally, and included basic details such as names, occupations and age ranges within a 10-year bracket.

“The 1851 census was the first census which was done thoroughly, where a deliberate attempt was made to collect the information in an orderly fashion,” said Bob.

“Up to 1901, the census was actually collected by an enumerator who went round and wrote out a record, and then went home and wrote it out on a sheet which he submitted back to his bosses who checked it.”

Bob said that on the census night of March 30, 1851, there were 4,363 residents recorded in Basingstoke – 2,058 male and 2,205 female, with just over half, 2,198, being born within a mile of the town.

Nearly half of the population originally came from outside the area, from places such as London.

The census also shows the diversity of Basingstoke trades in 1851. Two people were bargemasters, one made breeches, there was a castrator, four thatchers and a musical instrument maker, while six people are recorded as maltsters.

Other interesting entries include those concerning local brewer Francis Moth, who ran a boarding house in the Flaxpool area, roughly where Flaxfield Road is today.

Bob said: “He is recorded as having 19 musicians from Germany staying with him so, presumably, there was a German band in the town. Whether they were just transient or actually in the town for a period of time, there is no way of telling.”

Farming was a key industry for the town, and while farms such as Buckskin Farm, South Ham Farm, West Ham Farm, Viables Farm and Skippets have long gone, the names live on.

The information Bob has analysed from the 1851 census can be seen on the VCH website at explore.englandspastforeveryone. org.uk/items/basingstoke-census-1851.

“Now I’m working on the 1901 census, which had 9,400 entries,” he said. “The idea is that we should be able to do a comparison between 1851 and 1901 and then, after having done that, go to the middle with the 1881 census, so you can see how Basingstoke has developed and how the employment patterns have changed.”

He expects to find a major change in the town’s clothing industry. “The clothing factories of Burberry’s, Mare’s and Simpkins didn’t exist in 1851, although there were quite a few ladies who described themselves as seamstresses, dressmakers, tailoresses, who were either working on their own account at home or in little businesses.

“But there is a lot in the 1901 census who described themselves as working tailoresses and they are, obviously, working for these clothing factories.”

The same goes for the world of engineering. At the time of the 1851 census, agricultural equipment and traction engine manufacturer Wallis & Steevens did not exist but, by 1901 it was in its heyday, employing around 400 people.

Lorry, bus and coach builder Thornycroft was also to become a major employer in town, arriving in 1896.