The Street, Cobham in 1841
The Census
There has been a national census every 10 years since 1801. However the first census for which returns giving personal details survive is 1841. Every head of household in the country was required to provide details of the people present in their household at midnight on Sunday 6th June 1841. Those who were literate completed the form themselves, but many householders gave the information to the enumerator who filled in the form. The enumerator transferred all the information from the forms to a book which was sent to headquarters in London. It is these books that survive in the National Archives and give us the opportunity to see a snapshot of any place of interest.
On 6th June 1841 the main village street in Cobham, called The Street was like this:
Population
195 people consisting of 105 females and 90 males lived in 41 households. Only 27 people living in The Street had been born outside Kent.
Children
There were 64 children under 15 years of age consisting of 29 girls and 35 boys who lived in 18 families.
Two of the girls had been born in the days immediately before Census Night and their first names were shown as N K (not known). John and Sarah CAPLIN and George and Mary BRIGLAND were perhaps still discussing names for their daughters aged 8 days and 4 days respectively or they may not have wished to enter the names until the children had been baptised.
The Elderly
The Almshouses in New Cobham College behind the church housed 6 elderly couples, 6 elderly women and one elderly man.
Occupations
15 different occupations were entered against 74 of the individuals. Only two of these, Laundress and Female Servant were women’s occupations. 23 householders were shown as ‘Independent’ meaning they had independent means. However this group includes pensioners on small weekly stipends and wealthier individuals living on investments. In The Street this group includes 10 of the almshouse residents.
The occupations of the Street’s residents in 1841 were:
Agricultural labourer 23
Baker 1
Independent 20
Bricklayer 1
Female Servant 9
Farmer 1
Male Servant 4
Laundress 1
Wheelwright 4
Miller & Farmer 1
Grocer 3
Publican 1
Carpenter 2
Veterinary Surgeon 1
Tailor 2
Names
Surnames listed for Heads of households in The Street in 1841 were:
Arrleton, Baker (2), Beecher, Blake, Bradbean, Briggs, Brigland, Caplin (2), Colyer, Crawford, Daws, Elkin, Elliott, Eves, Gales, Gardner, Gilbert,
Higgins, Hopgood, Humphrey, Jinkins, Johnson, Longwell, Marshall, Morrad, Mungeam, Mussell, Natter, Parsons, Savage, Shearman Solomon, Stevens, Swan, Toll, Townsden, Tupper (2), Usher, Warrington, Weekes, Wells, Welsh.
The Census
There has been a national census every 10 years since 1801. However the first census for which returns giving personal details survive is 1841. Every head of household in the country was required to provide details of the people present in their household at midnight on Sunday 6th June 1841. Those who were literate completed the form themselves, but many householders gave the information to the enumerator who filled in the form. The enumerator transferred all the information from the forms to a book which was sent to headquarters in London. It is these books that survive in the National Archives and give us the opportunity to see a snapshot of any place of interest.
On 6th June 1841 the main village street in Cobham, called The Street was like this:
Population
195 people consisting of 105 females and 90 males lived in 41 households. Only 27 people living in The Street had been born outside Kent.
Children
There were 64 children under 15 years of age consisting of 29 girls and 35 boys who lived in 18 families.
Two of the girls had been born in the days immediately before Census Night and their first names were shown as N K (not known). John and Sarah CAPLIN and George and Mary BRIGLAND were perhaps still discussing names for their daughters aged 8 days and 4 days respectively or they may not have wished to enter the names until the children had been baptised.
The Elderly
The Almshouses in New Cobham College behind the church housed 6 elderly couples, 6 elderly women and one elderly man.
Occupations
15 different occupations were entered against 74 of the individuals. Only two of these, Laundress and Female Servant were women’s occupations. 23 householders were shown as ‘Independent’ meaning they had independent means. However this group includes pensioners on small weekly stipends and wealthier individuals living on investments. In The Street this group includes 10 of the almshouse residents.
The occupations of the Street’s residents in 1841 were:
Agricultural labourer 23
Baker 1
Independent 20
Bricklayer 1
Female Servant 9
Farmer 1
Male Servant 4
Laundress 1
Wheelwright 4
Miller & Farmer 1
Grocer 3
Publican 1
Carpenter 2
Veterinary Surgeon 1
Tailor 2
Names
Surnames listed for Heads of households in The Street in 1841 were:
Arrleton, Baker (2), Beecher, Blake, Bradbean, Briggs, Brigland, Caplin (2), Colyer, Crawford, Daws, Elkin, Elliott, Eves, Gales, Gardner, Gilbert,
Higgins, Hopgood, Humphrey, Jinkins, Johnson, Longwell, Marshall, Morrad, Mungeam, Mussell, Natter, Parsons, Savage, Shearman Solomon, Stevens, Swan, Toll, Townsden, Tupper (2), Usher, Warrington, Weekes, Wells, Welsh.
