High Street and Church Hill Horsell

1 High Street and Church Hill Horsell The object of this paper is to identify the houses and shops in the High Street and Church Hill during the period of the British ten yearly Censuses returns {1841-1911) The Censuses would seem an excellent means of finding out who lived in which house or shop during a particular period. The returns actually began in 1801 but the earlier ones contain no specific information on individual houses or persons. In interpreting the Censuses, if you are working with the original hand written copy handwriting is a common problem and in any event the enumerator sometimes appears to completely mishear what he was told by the head of the household. Another particular difficulty is that whereas today every house has a number or name or both, in 1841, and for many years thereafter, houses had neither names nor numbers. If a house had a name, it either described its occupants, for example, Cosiers in Old Woking (now The Old House), its purpose, The Vicarage (or The Old Vicarage) in Horsell, or the type of property The Cottage as in present day Horsell. Where a house with a name did appear in a Census this was an early guide to location, particularly to postmen and those looking for a house in a long road. Today we have postcodes but these are only a comparatively recent introduction not likely to help at present with Census returns only published when 100 years old, In Horsell, certainly in the early years, the returns were split into two with the dividing line running down what is now the High Street previously known as The Street or just Village. This was sensible since it is possible to establish chains of individuals who ran the two pubs almost facing each other on opposite sides of the street. When development began on the canal side of the Church the continuation was called not unreasonably Church Hill. Subsequently some doubt arose as to where High Street ended and Church Hill began but the latter has now been established as being after the School on one side and the Church on the other. Few houses were numbered in the earlier years except perhaps rows of cottages (either grouped or built in terraces) and not all houses retained their original name. The two separate parts of the Census in Horsell can best be identified by the two pubs namely the Red Lion on the Church side and the Crown on the other. It would seem that the two parts of the Horsell census were arranged as if the enumerator had walked the area covered in that order even if this was not the case and data was merely so arranged afterwards. A further complication arose out of which way the invigilator walked. (The direction of the walk can be identified by the numbers given to each household) For example, starting at the Vicarage he could either continue up the High Street or down Church Hill. In the latter event, his round eventually arrived at the Birch end of the High Street continuing along the High Street until the Vicarage was reached again. The direction of the enumerator’s round can be gauged by the numbering system (NB the same numbers were used for both the Red Lion and Crown sides of the Census). Further confusion arises when a particular household is inserted completely out of order, for example the Red Lion in the 1881 Census. 2 You will find attached to this paper Appendices containing transcriptions of that part of the Censuses for Horsell which cover High Street and Church Hill with separate extracts for the Red Lion and Crown sides. For 1851, details extracted from Edward Ryde’s survey are also shown again divided into the two sides. This survey is generally more reliable than the census since family names are allocated to the houses and buildings shown on the survey plan. The National School opposite the church was added to the original plan (note in Ryde’s diary 17 March 1852 newly erected National School at Horsell added to map). Albert Mangles was vicar of Horsell from 1840 to 1875 but lived outside the parish at Beech Hill in Mayford. As a consequence, he does not appear in the Horsell census returns during that period and the Vicarage was often occupied by curates and others. In describing who was living where during the period of the Censuses each side of the High Street is dealt with separately for each year commencing with the Crown side first as follows: First the Crown side The Crown The returns under the 1841 and 1851 censuses appear to be arranged in the same order but the Edward Ryde 1851 survey is the most accurate record of order being based on a map with occupants allocated to particular buildings shown on the map. The names of the families in these two returns below, therefore, follow the Ryde order. 1841 Down what is now known as Church Hill (The numbers are those on the Ryde map) 612.1 Sarah Tickner and sister 612.2 John Gale, agricultural labourer and wife and daughter The Gale and Tickner families lived in two houses above The Cottage towards the top of the hill 614 Samuel Willis, painter and wife at The Cottage (see my paper on this 18th century cottage) 3 Up High Street from the National School Caveys’ shop showing oven space 606 James Cavey, baker and family This was the village baker who carried on business on this side of the street. Former baker’s premises are usually identifiable by the tell-tale old baking oven running right up to the rear of the original shop. Today the shop occupied by The Horsell Framing Company (see above) with its long left hand wall running from its frontage to the back of the plot would seem to indicate such an oven and suggest that this was the site of the original Caveys’ shop. 603 William Cox, publican and wife at The Crown 600 William Spooner, shoe maker and family possibly not at the Benstead site 1851 Down what is now known as Church Hill (The numbers are those on the Ryde map) 608 Richard Pannell, retired farmer and wife 609 William Cobbett, agricultural labourer, wife and son 610.1 George Mant, agricultural labourer, wife and two sons 610.2 David Cutt, cordwainer journeyman, wife, daughter and son. 612.1 Sarah Tickner and sister 612.2 John Gale, agricultural labourer and wife and daughter 614 Samuel Willis, painter and wife at The Cottage Up High Street from the National School 606 James Cavey, baker and family. 605 Henry Chandler, agricultural labourer and family 604 James Steer, carpenter and wife 603 William Cox, publican and wife at the Crown. 601 Henry Hayter, saddler and grocer and wife 600 William Spooner, draper/shoemaker 4 1861 In part of Street (items 1 to 4 in return) William Spooner, draper and cordwainer and family Ambrose Brooker, grocer and family probably in the Cavey’s bakers shop David Shepherd, victualler and family at the Crown. Previous landlord William Cox appears as a boarder at East Gains Farm (probably East Gaze or Guise Farm actually Esgairs on the Red Lion side. See my paper on this property) His wife Fanny would seem to have died. In Church Hill (items 6 to 14 in return) Eliza Cavey, baker and daughter Henry Chandler, labourer and son James Winter, schoolmaster and family in National School John Stedman, labourer and family David Cutt, cordwainer, and family George Sleet, labourer and wife Joseph Sleet, labourer and family Thomas Collins, cordwainer Henry Howard, labourer and wife John Williss, labourer and wife 1871 (houses and shops not necessarily in the following sequence) The enumerator walked (or arranged) his returns from Benstead in the High Street past the National School and down Church Hill (item 1 t0 19 in return) William Spooner, draper and boot maker and family at Benstead Ambrose Brooker, master grocer son and daughter possibly at the Cavey ‘s bakers shop Alfred Wheeler, agricultural labourer and family Maria Green, publican son and daughter at the Crown Eliza Cavey widow of the previous village baker, living in Horsell Street with her granddaughter George Smithers, gardener and wife George Bayles blacksmith and family George Sleet, and wife James Reid, painter wife and son John Trigg, nurseryman and wife George Tussler, nursery labourer and family James Heather, agricultural labourer and family James Cobbett retired farmer and wife at The Cottage? (see my paper on this cottage) JJ Stainton, gentleman farmer Charles Pigden, farm labourer and wife William Holmes, schoolmaster wife and sisters in the National School Thomas William George, groom and valet wife and son 1881(houses and shops not necessarily in the following sequence) The enumerator walked (or arranged) his returns from Benstead in the High Street past the National School and down Church Hill (items 1 to 15 in return) 5 Sarah Spooner, draper and post mistress at Benstead Thomas Brooker, grocer and sister probably in the Cavey’s shop George Christmas and Elizabeth at the Crown. Elizabeth is Elizabeth (Hannah) Hurst adopted daughter of William Collyer of Birch Farm House, (see my paper on Horsell Birch). Hannah Sleet and sister (Hannah has been widowed) Thomas Burrow and wife James Harding, labourer and family Thomas E King, schoolmaster and wife at National School Eli G Spooner, clerk wife and son Charles Pigden, labourer and wife Charles Taylor, boot maker and family John W Stedman, brewer and wife Isaac Steer, carpenter and family James Hayward, farm labourer and family at The Cottage (see my paper on this cottage) John Hough, retired naval officer wife and stepchildren William Spenceley, retired wife and daughter 1891(houses and shops not necessarily in the following sequence) The enumerator walked (or arranged) his returns from Benstead in the

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