Population
Population of Staplehurst 5
April 1892 was 1818
of which
Percent
Males Females
Total of Total
Under 1 year old
17
22
39 2.1%
1 to 5 years of age
108 115
223 12.3%
6 to 12 years of age
193 155
348 19.1%
13 to 20 years of age 153
138 291
16.0%
21 to 30 years of age 114
126 240
13.2%
31 to 40 years of age 112
123 235
12.9%
41 to 50 years of age
94
89 183
10.1%
51 to 60 years of age
68
58 126
6.9%
61 to 70 years of age
50
36 86
4.7%
71 to 80 years of age
18
21
39 2.1%
Over 80 years of age
4
4
8 0.4%
Total
931 887
1818 100.0%
Marital Status
Number of
married people
612
33.7%
Number of
widows/widowers
96
5.3%
Single people
over 16 years
363
20.0%
of which single over 25 years
120
6.6%
Place of
Birth
Born Staplehurst
833
45.8%
Born rest of Kent
714
39.3%
Born rest of
England
244
13.4%
Born rest of
United Kingdom
16
0.9%
Born other
countries
11
0.6%
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Disabilities
4 people are recorded with
disabilities – one each for Deaf, Dumb, Blind and
Imbecile. Note these are specific
categories the enumerator was required to record. Other disabilities
would not be recorded.
Occupations
There were 727 people with an
occupation recorded (excluding scholars) of which 150 were female.
The female occupations were almost exclusively domestic although one
widow is a farmer and another a blacksmith. 20 women are
involved in dressmaking or needlework and 9 in the teaching
profession.
7 people were classed as
retired and 33 as living on own means.
Note that wives rarely are shown with an occupation. The enumerator
for District 12 did not record ‘scholars’ while the other 2 district
enumerators did. Consequently, we cannot draw conclusions on the
number of children at school in 1891.
Reviewing the occupations of the inhabitants of
Staplehurst, provides a view of the village life in 1891.
Agriculture is by far the largest employer followed by domestic
servants. The railway, postal services and trades are all
represented. The number of retailers implies that there were far
more shops in Staplehurst in 1891 than there is today. There was at
least one hotel and a couple of inns as well as a boarding house.
There was one doctor and the number of teachers was a surprise for me.
Farming
was the principle industry in
Staplehurst. There are 40 farmers recorded with 16 ‘farmer’s
sons’ and 6 ‘farmer’s daughters’ who presumably
worked within the family farm. Bailiffs were employed
to manage some
of the farms. There are 225 agricultural labourers recorded or farm
servants (8). The label agricultural labourer would cover many jobs
within farming. Other titles used included Stock Man (1), Dairy Man
(1), Game Keeper (1), Hay Binder (2), Poultry Worker (2), Charcoal
Burner, and Wood Man (1). 9 shepherds are mentioned.
Farmers
40
Farmer’s sons & daughters
22
Farm Bailiffs
9
Agricultural Labourers/ servants
233
Shepherds
9
Other farming
9
Total Farming
322
Domestic
- This
is a large group with 148 people employed. The most usual title is
Domestic Servant.
In the better off homes, there is a tendency to
have more than one servant and to have specific job titles
such as
butler, cook, governess, lady’s maid, and parlour maid.
Domestic Servant 49
Gardener 21
Housekeeper
18
Coach Man 5
Cooks
9
Fly Driver
1
Daily Governess
3
Groom
7
Nurse
7
Houseboy
4
Mother’s Help
3
Butler
1
Parlour Maid
4
Footman
1
Lady’s Maid
1
Care Taker 1
Companion
1
Yard Men
2
Char Woman
4
Laundress
6
Total Females
105
Total Males 43
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Services -
include the railway which employed 21 people
including the stationmaster,
signalmen (2), engine driver (1),
traction engine (2), clerk (1), porters (5) and platelayers (6).
Postal services (10), telegraph (1) and mail carriers (3) employed
14.
Railway
23
Postal Services
14
Carters &
Waggoners
25
Roadmen
3
Total Services
65
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Professions - including
teaching, medical, religious (which includes 1 Vicar and 1 clerk for
the Church of England, 1 Wesleyan Preacher, 1 Baptist Minister and 1
Congregational Minister) and military(2).
Policing includes one constable and one instructing constable. And,
of course, we have a tax collector from the
inland revenue.
Teaching
15
Surgeon / General Practitioner 1
Religious
5
Military
2
Police
2
Inland Revenue
1
Total Professional
26
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Trades
- such as Blacksmith (8), Wheelwright (8), and Hoop-maker (8) were
local trades. Saddlers (2), and
Coachbuilders (2) are in small numbers. Dressmakers and needlewomen,
tailor (1) and boot-makers (6) met
local needs.
Blacksmith,
Wheelwright, Hoop-maker 24
Saddlers,
Coachbuilders
4
Brick Maker
4
Dressmaker,
needlewomen, & tailor 21
Boot-makers
6
Clock & Watch
Makers
2
Hairdresser
1
Rope-maker
1
Total Trades
63
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The
building industry is present with carpenters, bricklayers,
builders, painters, a plumber and a glazier. 5 labourers are
mentioned which may or may not be part of the building trade.
Carpenters
13
Bricklayers
12
Builder
7
Painters
4
Plumber,
Glazier
2
Labourers
5
Sawyer
1
Total building
44
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Retail
is represented with food related
occupations such as grocers, bakers, butchers etc. There is also a
florist & seedsman, draper, and
stationers. The outlets appear to be grouped so that you have, for
instance, a grocer & draper.
Grocer
24
Baker
7
Butcher
10
Confectioner
1
Fish Monger
1
Beer Retailer
3
Draper
3
Stationers
2
Florist /
Seedsman
2
Total Retail
53
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Merchants,
which may be retail or otherwise, include Corn Dealers, Sugar
Broker, Coal Merchants, and even a manure agent.
Coal Merchants
3
Corn Merchants
2
Commercial Merchant
2
Sugar Broker / Tea Dealer
2
Milk Purveyor
1
Manure Agent
1
Total Merchants
11
Catering –
under this heading, I include inn keepers, hotel, keeper,
Ostlers, publicans,
victualler as follows.
Inn Keepers
3
Ostler
3
Hotel Keeper
1
Boarding
House Keeper
1
Victualler
1
Publican
1
Bar maid/man
2
Total Catering
12
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