A representative picture of Boraston village derived from the 1851 Census records taken on the night of 30th March 1851. Where possible the dwellings have been identified with current houses in the village.
Again we start our walk around Boraston village on what is now the A456, about 100 yards from the Peacock Inn. The first dwelling was Hammermill House, still the home of cooper Thomas Bowen (35yrs) and his wife Hannah (36yrs) who came from Shipton in Oxfordshire. They had two sons, Thomas and Benjamin, and a daughter named Elizabeth.
The innkeeper at the Peacock Inn was widower Esau Smallman (64yrs) from Stottesdon, who had a 50 acre farm as well as the pub. His son, George, and daughters Mary and Louisa, also lived at the Peacock, together with two servants, William Parry and Jane Lucas.
Passing under the canal bridge we come to the home of widower, William Jones (74yrs) at Hammermill Cottage. He had a servant, Hannah Meredith from Knighton in Radnorshire. This may be the house now described as Hammermill Farm.
Walking up the lane towards the village we come to the house of 59 year old Benjamin Sayer who had a 13 acre smallholding with his brother, George (51yrs); their brother, Robert, who was a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, was also at the house on census night (31st March). Also living at this house were servants Mary Webb and Sarah Didlick. This property may be Lee House. At the next dwelling lived agricultural labourer William Didlick (62yrs), together with lodger John Carwardine (25yrs).
At the next house, stonemason William Howell (40yrs) and his wife Sarah (35 yrs) now had three children James, William and John since the 1841 census. Agricultural labourer William Lloyd (36yrs) and his wife Sarah (36yrs) also had two daughters, Martha and Sarah, and two sons William and James at the next dwelling. Sixty two year old Elizabeth Lloyd was on Parish Relief and was living with her two sons James and John.
On the right as we enter the village was the 125 acre farm run by Edward Good (31yrs) and his wife Sarah (23yrs) They had a five year old son Edward and Edward’s brother Samuel, who was a draper, also lived with them. This is probably Lower House Farm.
The next farmhouse on the right was the 117 acre farm of William Smallman (35yrs) and his wife Emma (22yrs). They had a small baby called William and a nurse called Julia Price. Also living at the farm was waggoner William Evans and waggoner’s boy William Hodgkiss. This property is probably the half-timbered Middle House that overlooks the village green.
At the junction in the middle of the village we find another farm. This was the 185 acre farm of Thomas Meakin (64yrs) and his wife Ann (60yrs). They had one son, James, and two daughters Eliza and Frances. Six year old William Snook was a visitor on census night. Three farm servants also lived at what is probably Boraston Court Farm, Thomas Hodnett, William Green and John Cork.
The widow, Susan Kinnersley (65yrs) lived at the next cottage with her son William, and Richard Gardiner (70yrs) and his wife Margaret (67yrs) lived next door. These are probably Court Cottages on the road to Tan Hill. John Corfield (25yrs) living at Boraston Mill was described as a servant.
Back at the centre of the village and walking up the bank past the church we come to the house of William Reynolds (71yrs) and his wife Rachel (71yrs), a 150 acre farm. They had three servants at the house, Edward Box, Mary Price and Ann Smith. This is probably Boraston House Farm.
Ann Bufton (70yrs) was the head of the next household. She was on Parish Relief, and lived with her daughters Mary, who was a dressmaker, and Ann who was married to a sawyer Peter Holmes. Next to this dwelling lived agricultural labourer William Bridgewater (50yrs) and his wife Margaret (51yrs). They had a daughter Ann. Widow Ann Humphries (75yrs) lived alone at the next cottage, possibly Myttons Cottage.
The blacksmith Thomas Downes (46yrs) lived at the next cottage on the right with his wife Mary (48yrs). They had three daughters, Elizabeth, Ann and Eliza and four sons, Thomas, William, Henry and Benjamin. The three year old grandson, John, also lived at the house which is probably the current Forge Cottage.
Walking up to the cross roads and turning right towards Milson brings us to the first house on the left, Whistlewood. Agricultural labourer John Smith (46yrs) lived here with his 75 year old mother in law, Ann Jones.
The next six properties are probably the group of dwellings at Boraston Dale, around Dale House. In the first house lived shoemaker John Brown (52yrs) with his wife Ann (42yrs). They had two sons, John and Edwin, and two daughters Caroline and Allice Ann. Sarah Amphlett (70yrs) lived at what is now Dale Cottage, together with a lodger Thomas Andrew, who was an agricultural labourer. The next two cottages were the dwellings of firstly, agricultural labourer William Ratford (35yrs) and his wife Mary (43yrs). They had a lodger, 70 year old Mary Hanley. In the second cottage lived labourer John Bright (35yrs) with his wife Hannah (28yrs), their baby daughter Mary Ann and Hannah’s sister, Susan Cork.
The vicar or Eardisland, Frederick Rudge (63yrs) lived at what is probably Dale House. Also living there were Frederick’s son Charles, a man of independent means, and schoolmaster Joseph Cooper who was married to Frederick’s daughter Emily. The Coopers had a son, Frederick, and a daughter Agnes Emily. Two servants, Andrew Butler and Martha Wall also lived at the house.
In the next cottage lived agricultural labourer John Hotchkiss (33yrs) with his wife Susan (32yrs). They had three daughters, Emma, Mary Ann and Hannah, and three sons, William, Charles and Stephen.
Crossing the Corn Brook and walking towards Milson we come to Dinthill Cottage on the left hand side. This was the home of wheelwright William Powell (30yrs) and Ann (26yrs), his wife. They had a son, William and a baby daughter Priscilla. Further on, again on the left, we find agricultural labourer Thomas Mytton (51yrs) and his wife Phebe (58yrs) living at Coppice Cottage, together with their daughter, Sarah, and sons John and Thomas.
Further on, on the right side of the road we come to the 35 acre Dinthill Farm, home of 70 year old widow Martha Beddows. She was living with her niece, Mary Ann Adams (a scholar), and nephew Thomas Adams who worked on the farm. Another servant, William Cooper, also lived at the farm. The last dwelling on this side of Boraston was Mayhill Farm, a 70 acre farm, farmed by 46 year old Mary Potts. She had three servants at the farm James Preece, John Farmer and Emma Hotchkiss.
Retracing our steps back towards Tenbury Wells, past the road from the centre of the village, we come to Boraston Rectory on the right side of the road. This was still the home of the rector of Nash and Boraston, Hubert McLaughlin (45yrs) and his wife Frederica (34yrs). Six of their eight children are described as ‘scholars at home’. These were Louisa, William, Frederick, Charles, Randolph and Sophia. Fanny and Georgina were too young for schooling. Sarah Jones worked as a governess for the children. There were seven servants, Elizabeth Powell, Susan Young, Mary Kitchen, Caroline Payne, Ann Meredith John Bayliss and William Bayliss.
Finally on our tour of the village, we come to Spurtree Bank, the home of agricultural labourer Thomas Crundall (43yrs) and his wife Elizabeth (42yrs). They had a lodger, Benjamin Carter.
In summary, we find Boraston in 1851 to be a rural community of some 35 dwellings inhabited by 157 persons. There were eight farms and smallholdings, one pub and a church. The predominant occupation was farm labouring, although there were also a cooper, a blacksmith, a stonemason and a shoemaker; and several persons of independent means. One lady worked as a dressmaker and two people were claiming parish relief.
Researched and written by Rae Morgan
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