There were more cottages in Park Lane than there are now. Numbers 3 & 4 have become just Number 4. The column for 1847, the year of the Tithe book, should give us a useful cross-reference with the Census, but, as you can see - it doesn't! The one fixed point we have is the fact that Charles and George Mills lived in number 4 - this is word of mouth, and we do have the photograph above of Mrs Mills and her daughter Emily. The really odd year is 1881, but looking at the Census returns one can only wonder if the enumerator was drunk - there is little sense to the order in which they were done, and the writing is atrocious. Families seem to change houses from Census to Census - Richard Jackson in no.1 in 1851, but his widow in no.4 in 1861. The order of the entries definitely puts her in no.4 - perhaps it was a smaller house and she moved (or was moved) there when Richard died (possibly in 1855). A similar situation occurs with the White family, John & Elizabeth. You must remember that the average villager was not that well educated, not many of them were exactly sure of either their names or their ages. The censuses were taken at 10 yearly intervals but most folks aged a different number of years! Also the Hampshire dialect was much stronger than it is now, and the enumerator (not as well educated himself as you might hope) had to rely on what he heard, hence the James Paris and James Harris who resided where Elmcroft is. Close examination of the records below will reveal that they are the same people. A Sarah PARIS was buried aged 68 in 1882, but was she the same Sarah Paris who was married to James? Comparison of the ages says no - Sarah Paris was 50 in 1871 and Sarah Harris gave her age as 60 in 1881, both gave their place of birth as Carbrook in Norfolk, so they were most likely the same person, but the Sarah Paris buried a year later was recorded in the Burial records as being 68. One of the little mysteries of Froyle. |
