Royston High Street in 1911
By James Robinson
Stories from the 1911 Census By James Robinson
Through family history websites such as Ancestry and Find My Past it is possible to use census records to find out who was living at a particular address when the census man came to note down the occupants’ names, ages, occupations and places of birth.
Censuses are taken on a specific date every ten years. This article has been compiled from details of the 1911 census taken on Sunday 2nd April 1911.
When working with census records, you need to be aware that some of the spellings of street names may be different from how we spell them now. Pubs, buildings and roads also change names. Sometimes they are knocked down or suddenly appear and disappear between different census dates.
House numbers can also change and sometimes they are not listed at all. Numbering of houses was a new thing at the start of the 20th century, and many rural villages and even small towns (such as Baldock) still did not have house numbers in 1911. Stevenage streets for example were only given numbers in 1910.
Some of the occupations listed on the census that were common may be unheard of today and require further investigation to find out what they were.
Confusion may also be caused by trying to read the handwritten entries from the original records (nineteenth century “copperplate” writing is hard to get used to), and while those writing the records (the “census enumerators”) would generally have been well educated, interviewees would often be unable to read and check what had been written. So, you can find evidence of miss-heard names and variations in spelling. Peoples “Christian” names also go in and out of fashion, and all this is reflected in the census records.
Families were often much bigger in the past, and those who were wealthy, or had a profession often had servants living with them – almost invariably young unmarried women in their late teens or early 20’s. Interestingly in the 1911 Census, for the first time, women were not only asked how many children lived with them, but how many they had given birth to – and how many had survived childhood. Childhood mortality was a real concern 100 years ago. Using the Find My Past website, and doing a little further research on the internet and other local resources, it is possible to take a snapshot of who was resident in Royston High Street. The aim of this article is to show what is possible. Similar research on the occupants of other Royston roads, or roads in any other town or village, going back as far as 1841 in some cases can be done using the “address search” on the Census records on Find My Past.
So who was in residence on Royston High Street on 2nd April 1911? Let’s have a look at just some of the families and businesses
No 16 High Street
GROSE, John Varcoe Head Married 30 Draper Dealer Born 1881 in Roche Cornwall
GROSE, Elizabeth Clark Wife Married 5 years Assistant in business 32 born 1879 in Bangor Co Down
GROSE, Alison Eileen Joan Daughter 4 Born 1907 in Royston Herts
THOMPSON, Ethel Assistant Single 25 Draper Assistant Born 1886 in Wilbye Northampton
WEST, Dorothy Servant Single 17 General Servant Born 1894 in London KentishTown
No 17 High Street
COURSE, James Head Married 36 Watch Repairer Jeweller And Optician Born 1875 in Mansfield Notts
COURSE, Ethel Maud Wife Married 11 years 36 1875 Born 1875 in Buntingford Hertfordshire
COURSE, Harold Aylott Son 10 at school Born 1901 in Royston
COURSE, Ada Marian Daughter 2 Born 1909 in Royston GREEN, Maud, Servant Single 16 Domestic Servant General Born 1895 in Meldreth
No 18 High Street
CLARK, Robert Henry Cook Head Single 24 Photographer Portrait And Landscape All Operations Born 1887 in Royston Herts
No 20 High Street
SEELEY, Archibald Head Married 31 Draper Born 1880 in Barrow Suffolk
SEELEY, Florence Wife Married 7 years 37 Assisting In Business Born 1874 in Cambridge
SEELEY, Llewelyn Son 6 At school Born 1905 in Lavenham Suffolk
SIMPSON, Annie Boarder Single 20 Milliner Born 1891 in NewmarketSuffolk
DEAP, Clara Boarder Single 39 Dressmaker Born 1872 in Royston Herts
No 21 High Street
BROWN, Henry Head Married 51 Tobacconist Born 1860 in Eynesbury
BROWN, Louisa S Wife Married 25 years 52 Born 1859 in Cambridge
BROWN, Eleanor M Daughter Single 19 Assistant Born 1892 in Royston
BROWN, H Reginald Son Single 15 School Born 1896 in Royston
BROWN, Douglas E Son Single 8 Born 1903 in Royston
No 25 High Street
DELLAR, David Head Married 60 Grocers Manager And Salesman Born 1851 In Basingbourn Cambridgeshires
DELLAR, Miriam Wife Married 37 years 61 Born in 1850 in Sherfield Herts
DELLAR, Frances Daughter Single 32 Grocer’s Clerk Born 1879 in Royston
DELLAR, Ethel Daughter Single 25 Born1886 in Royston
No 26 High Street
STOCKWELL, H C Head 32 Shoe Maker Born 1879 in Romsey
STOCKWELL, Fanny Wife 3 Born 1879 in Winchester
STOCKWELL, Samuel Son 9 Born 1902 in Winchester
STOCKWELL, Gray Daughter 4 Born 1907 in Royston
CAMIES, Eliza Visitor Sister 35 Born 1876 in Winchester
CAMIES, Mollie Visitor Niece 0 Born 1911 in Horsham
No 28 High Street
HALES, John Head Married 46 Roadman Born 1865 in Melbourne Cambs
HALES, Elizabeth Jane Wife Married 35 House Duties Born 1876 in Bassingbourn Cambs
HEMMING, Edith Elizabeth Hales Stepdaughter Single 15 Houses Duties Born 1896 in Newsells Royston Herts
HALES, Annie Matilda Daughter Single 13 at school Born 1898 in Newsells Royston Herts
HALES, Joseph Henry George Son Single 9 at school Born 1902 in Melbourn Cambs
HALES, William John Son Single 7 at school Born 1904 in Royston Herts
HALES, Frederick Charles Son Single 5 at school Born 1906 in Royston Herts
HALES, Herbert David Son Single 0 Born 1911 in Royston Herts
No 29 High Street
TITCHMARSH, Walter Charles Head Single 47 Grocer And Draper Retail Born 1864 in Royston
TITCHMARSH, Susannah Mother Widow 72 Born 1839 in Godmanchester
TITCHMARSH, Frances Emma Sister Single 42 Clerk Assisting In The Business Born 1869 in Royston
TITCHMARSH, Agnes Louise Sister Single 39 Born 1872 in Royston
TITCHMARSH, Martha Decima Sister Single 37 Born 1874 in Royston
WINTOR, Sarah Elizabeth Assistant Single 32 Milliner Born1879 in Gorsfield
CARLEY, Lucy Miriam Servant Single 18 General Servant Domestic Born 1893 in Anstey
No 30 High street
MATTHEWS, Ernest N Head Single 27 Chemist and Wine Merchant Born 1884 in Royston Herts
MATTHEWS, Rosa M Mother Widow 58 Born 1853 in Meldreth Cambs
No 32 High Street
BULLARD, Charles Henry Head Married 42 Basket Maker And China Dealer Born 1869 in Welwyn
BULLARD, Beatrice Wife Married 17 years 43 Assists In Shop Born 1868 in Hilgay
BULLARD, May Daughter Single 16 Dressmakers Apprentice Born 1895 in Royston
BULLARD, George Son Single 15 Chemists Apprentice Born 1896 in Royston
BULLARD, Grace Daughter 13 1898 at school Born 1898 in Royston
No 33 High Street
HOY, William Head Married 56 Butcher And Farmer Born 1855 in Gt Chishall Cambs
HOY, Agnes Mary Ann Wife Married 25 years 48 Assisting In Butchers as Carrier Born 1863 in Guilden Morden Cambs
HOY, Stanley Son Single 20 Farmers Son Manager Born 1891 in Royston Herts
No 37 High Street
LOGSDON, Edwin Head Married 33 Hotel Keeper Born 1878 in Hitchin
LOGSDON, Annie Mary Wife Married 10 years 37 Assisting In Business Born 1874 in Melton Mowbray
LOGSDON, Edwin Walter Son 9 Born 1902 in Royston
LOGSDON, Nancy Joyce Daughter 7 Born 1904 in Royston
LOGSDON, Alice Daughter 5 Born 1906 in Royston
LOGSDON, Robert Bernard Son 0 Born 1911 in Royston
DAFFORN, Elizabeth Gertrude Servant Single 32 Nurse Domestic Born 1879 in Pentonville
RAISIN, Sarah Anne Amelia Servant Single 25 Hotel Barmaid Born 1886 in Southsea
FOSTER, Sarah Servant Single 39 Hotel Waitress Born 1872 in Gosmore Hitchin
MASON, Florence Louse Servant Single 24 Hotel Cook Born1887 in London
DARTLETT, Charles Richard Servant Single 25 Hotel Groom Born 1886 in Longworth Berks
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