Blisworth and its People 1841 - 1901, Part II 

 Changing Life-styles in Households through the Victorian Period

Authors: H. Spurrier, B. Andrews and R. Freeston
Reproduced here by courtesy of the Blisworth Heritage Society
Copyright: the charts are copyright to the Society

This is the product of meticulous work that began with Robin Freeston collecting data into MS XL charts from the UK census records between 1841 and 1901. All three authors then formulated a way in which the data would be best presented and Robin created the charts that were used in a MS Powerpoint presentation given by Hilary Spurrier and Beryl Andrews to a Friday meeting of the Heritage Society. The charts were later edited by Tony Marsh so that they could be incorporated more easily into a web-page.

As first posted on this website in May 2013, the document had notes alongside most charts which corresponded with the 'bullet points' used in the presentation. As time goes by (we may expect months to elapse) the textual content will be enhanced according to inputs from the authors. Hypertext links may appear also.

Population and Households

Brief notes: Average household size remained fairly static at about 5 people per household. It is hard to explain the decline in 1871. New buildings include the 12 railway cottages in the 1840s, in the 1860s a grocer store (Young's), the Mount Pleasant four cottages and the cottages next to the store. The Wesleys Buildings in Stoke Road were described as new in 1871. In the 1880s 27-31 of the High Street older cottages were replaced and the semi-detached cottages in Stoke Road were built. In the 1880s cottages were built by the "Chapel" between the chapel and the canal in Chapel Lane and in the 1890s the cottages around The Sun Moon and Stars were built by Phipps.

Age Profiles for Blisworth

Brief notes: As an example the data for 1861 shows that the median age of the population in 1861 was about 40 years. The actual average age was 26 years.

 

 

 

 

Places of Birth of Blisworth Residents

Brief notes: Many of those born in Northamptonshire are from the local villages
such as Milton, Gayton, Stoke Bruerne, Rothersthorpe and Shutlanger. Many of the professionals came from outside of the county. A governess from Bermuda and a school room maid from Switzerland are perhaps the most exotic additions to the village

 

 

Origins of Married Couples 

Brief notes: High number of men married wives from neighbouring villages rather than Blisworth. The decline in the proportion of 'Blisworth born and bred' reflects the improved communications and the impact of the railway, also the changes in industry.

 

 

Number of Children 

Brief notes: It is a surprise that there were not more large families. Only those living at home are counted. There are examples of quite young
children (11+) employed as farm labourers and servants. Many older children may have moved into "Live In" positions. The age of mothers at the time of the birth of their first child shows
that there were few teenage mothers with most becoming mothers in their 20s or 30s.

Age at Death

Brief notes:  This chart is based on church burials only in the period 1813 to 1872. the infant mortality was high - a common feature. Only 4 people reached age 90 or higher. The average age of the population was approx. 20 in the 19th century rising to 30 by the time of  the 1901 census. The average age of the population now is about 55.

 

Extended Families

Brief notes: The percentage remained very static throughout the century at about 20%. The extended families could consist of either elderly widowed parents or a bereaved daughter with children or unmarried siblings of the householder. The statistics do not include the extent of extended families living in a separate but nearby household.

Lodgers, Borders and Visitors

Brief notes: The definition of a lodger is that he/she rented a room ,only, while borders lived in with the family having meals as well as accommodation. These figures represent a wide range of people. Some were professionals such as a curate or trainee surgeon while others were often single men who worked in the village. Several visitors are mentioned in the censuses - sometimes a relative and maybe occasionally someone like a dressmaker - it was not unusual for travelling dressmakers to stay with a family for a week or so.

Professionals in Blisworth

Brief notes: In 1841 the list contains canal agents, a clergyman, an engineer, a road surveyor, a schoolmaster, a surgeon, a tutor, a bookkeeper a clerk and a policeman.
By 1861 professionals associated with the railway such as station master, contractor and various clerks have been added as well as an electric telegraph clerk, gasworks manager and a solicitor.

By 1881 telegraphists and more professionals associated with the railways and shoe industry are evident. A life insurance agent and assistant secretary with the County Council are new additions in 1901.

Servants

Brief notes: The list includes those living "out" as well as "in"
Servants ranged in age from 12 - 60+.

 

 

 

Cooks and Kitchen Maids

Brief notes: Few households had a kitchen maid as well as a cook. Housemaids performed a wide range of duties and had to work long hours.


 

 

 

Butlers Houseboys and Footmen

Brief notes: Employing male servants was a sign of status. Footmen/houseboys often answered the door, waited at the table and cleaned silver and polished the furniture. Footman could also be expected to walk alongside a carriage.

 

 

General Servants

Brief notes: Often a very hard job as a general servants were sometimes the only servant in the house. They were often aged under 20 and so was often the first position for a young girl. She would generally clean and cook for the family.

 

 

Housekeepers and Housemaids

Brief notes: Housekeepers mere "high status" servants - only the larger/wealthier households would employed them. Most housekeepers had come from outside Blismorth. Housemaids could hope to progress to a housekeeper or ladies maid position.

 

Coachman and Groom

Brief notes: A real sign of status was owning a coach. A groom denotes horse ownership which was more common. For families which had neither, travel was difficult.

 

 

 

 

Servants at Blisworth House

Brief notes: The servants listed here were those who lived in the house rather than having their own home or living at their
parent's home. Male servants are listed as butler, footman, page or groom. Female servants included cook, lady's maid, nursemaid, governess, housemaid, schoolroom maid, parlour maid and kitchen maid. The owners of the house from 1851 -1871 mainly employed servants from Northamptonshire. Later owners brought their servants in from further a field including Switzerland.
 

Servants at Blisworth Rectory

Brief notes: The male servants include house servant, coachman and butler. The female servants include cook, housemaid, parlour maid, nurse, semstress, governess and gentle womans companion. With the exception of the governess from Bermuda and a butler from Suffolk the majority of the servants were from Northamptonshire.
The living was in one of three generations of the Barry family for the whole of the period.

 

Servants at Grafton Villas

Brief notes: There were two semi-detached houses with an appearance of just one house. The villas were occupied by doctors, a solicitor, station master clerk and an assistant secretary to the County Council. The servants were predominantly general house servants with the occasional nurse.

 

 

 

Servants at Blisworth Hotel

Brief notes: Male servants included an ostler as well as some general servants. Female servants were predominantly general servants as well as a cook and a ladies maid.

 

 

 

The Religious Census 1851

Brief notes: At just one time there was a religious survey and that was in 1851. It was conducted in the winter and that meant there was no church evening service. On record, elsewhere is that church attendance was affected by disputes over pews and by influenza. A flourishing Baptist chapel was established in 1825 and Wesleyan services held at the stoneworks for a while with a stonemason serving as the local preacher.