The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
Census Records
1891
The 1891 census was held on 5th April 1891.
Below is a summary of the census records. However, if you wish to view individual details, please click on the link to see the details of the census records in two different formats.
It is now possible to locate most of the houses in the census as they are named or given a number and/or street name. So we have Weston Down Norsebury, Andover Road Micheldever Station which includes the Railway Station, Post Office, Western Hotel and Western House, Warfe Cottage, School House, Larkwhistle Hamlet, Bradley has Keepers Lodge Blackwood, Parkhill Farm and Bradley West Stratton. Then there are Micheldever Woods and Newdown, Borough Hill, Borough Arch, Cowdown and Weston (Colley). West Stratton also includes Highway, Grange Lodge and Old Grange Lodge. In Micheldever Village, Annell Lane is now Winchester Road and Duck Street is now Duke Street. Church Street and 1 The Cress (Crease) are also detailed for the first time. Most houses in Micheldever and Northbrook are numbered.
There were approximately 1060 inhabitants listed.. Predominant surnames were: Ball, Butler, Clarke, Cole, Collis, Knight, Miles and Whatmore. Micheldever and Hampshire are still the predominant places of birth. One was born in the USA (sch 2) and the curate (sch 166) was born in St Helier.
The main occupations were farm labourer/general labourer/carter/farm servant, however, a number were also employed on the London and South Western railway at the station, including 2 flydrivers and horse carmen. Most women who worked were domestic servants. This time just 4 disabilities are mentioned, 1 invalid, 1 with chronic asthma, 1 partially blind and 1 with defective hearing.
Principle farms itemised are as follows:
Weston Down Norsebury Farmhouse is farmed by George Bailey (sch 3).
Weston Farmhouse is farmed by Fred Bailey (sch 204).
West Stratton Farmhouse is now farmed by Charles Barton (sch 29).
Boro Farm (sch 90) is now farmed by John Pain, churchwarden for 54 years and son of Charles who farmed it in 1881. Interestingly, at Bradley West Stratton lived Charles and Henry Pain, brothers (sch 43).
Manor Farm House is farmed by Arthur Neate, who is described as 'son' – maybe John Neate was away at the time of the census. (sch 101)
Sheep House Farm, Northbrook is farmed by John King (sch 199).
Northbrook House is inhabited by a James Caird (sch 201) and Weston House by George Twitchen, a retired farmer (sch 206).
In Micheldever itself, Elizabeth Colliss, a grocer & baker was at 1 The Cress (sch 108). She is aged 81 and the widow of Richard Colliss, the grocer in 1881. With her is living her son Henry, a bootmaker and a widower (see 1881 census). In Church Street Joshua Colliss was the baker (sch 150). Is this Perry's Acre or was 1 The Cress Perry's Acre? He seems to have moved from Duke Street. Also in Church Street are the Thoen family, classified as baker/grocer (sch 157). In Duke Street the Southbrook Grocer's shop was run by a William Avington/Covington, a baker & grocer (sch 141). This is probably Holly House (see history of Holly House on the village website by Colin Filmer). George Pack, a butcher, lived in Church Street (Sch 168) (Barn Cottage). Presumably he took over from William Gale. There was a shoemaker living in Winchester Road, (sch 117) a bootmaker in Duke Street (sch 127) and a blacksmith in Micheldever Village, no street or number given (sch 106).
West Stratton had one grocer's shop, still run by William Cole, aged 46, who describes himself not only as a grocer and baker, but also as a farmer (sch 68). He lived there with his wife and 8 children.
The vicar's widow, Agnes Whitestone, still lived at the Vicarage in Duke Street (sch 131) with her two sons, Reginald (Cambridge undergraduate) & Frederick (pupil to land agent) and 2 servants. She is described as living on her own means. There seems to be no vicar at the time.
The School Master remains the same, Edward Lawrence, aged 34, living at School House, Church Street with his wife and two sons. (sch 154)
There is now only one pub listed, The Half Moon in Winchester Road (sch 119), where the publican was a John Carter.
The Almshouses had 13 inmates, in addition to the Head, Charles Ball and his family of 6, the daughter Edith being the schoolmistress. Two of the lodgers were also resident there in 1881 (sch 162).
Also in Church Street is now the Post Office (Old Post Office today?) where George Gamble was the sub postmaster. (sch 155)
Waterloo Cottages, Church Street are clearly indicated with 5 households (sch 169-173)
At the Station, there was a post office, run by John Sparkman, post master (sch 21) and the Western Hotel run by Henry Fry (sch 22) – a relation to Caroline of 1881? Western House was occupied by a brewery manager, one William Showler with his wife, 4 children and 2 servants (sch 23)
My thanks to Colin Filmer and Trish Patston for creating these census records and summaries.