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
1911
The 1911 census was held on Sunday 2nd April 1911.
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.
Strangely, fewer houses are numbered than in 1901, although more streets are named and a few more houses are also named. However if you follow the order of the schedule, it should be possible to locate most homes by a process of deduction and elimination. Woodmancote is included for the first time with Micheldever.The order is as follows, with the number of households in each section: Enumeration District 1: Highway x 4, Woodmancote x 4, Stratton House, London Lodge, Basingstoke Lodge, Woodmancote, Highway x 3, West Stratton x 6, Park Hill x 5, Bradley 63-57, Micheldever Station x 3, The Warren Micheldever Station x 8, Micheldever Station x 24, Larkwhistle x 4, Blackwood, Park Hill Farm, Micheldever Station x 3, Bradley House, West Stratton x 5. Enumeration District 2: Newdown x 6, The Woods, Highway, Cowdown x 2, Duke Street x 19, Winchester Road x 15, Church Street x 26, Meadow View x 2, Southbrook House (Almshouse), Waterloo Cottages x 6, 49 Church Street + 1, River Cottage, Northbrook x 20, Northbrook Farm, Northbrook Lodge, Northbrook House, Railway Cottages Micheldever Station x 2, Manor Farm, Manor Cottage, Borough x 8, Borough Hill x 6, Norsebury x 5, Weston.x 14, Weston Down x 3.
There were approximately 1040 inhabitants listed..Predominant surnames were: Butler, Clarke, Cole, Collis, Miles and Whatmore, but there is definitely a much wider range of family names now. The places of birth also continue to widen. There were 2 born abroad, one in Aden, Arabia (Sch 132 ) and another in Kamptee, India. This is Florence Hinn, a British citizen who was employed as a nurse at the Vicarage (Sch 29).
For the first time in this census, the number of children from a marriage, both living and dead, are given. As are the number of years a couple has been married., if both are still living
Most people were still employed on the farms, the land, the railway, the Post Office and as domestic servants, with a few tradesmen also.
The following farms and notable house are itemised:
New Down Farm, Sch 1, Albert Whistler.
Manor Farm, Sch 117, Albert Parsons.
West Stratton Manor, Sch 145, Walter Baylis, a tenant farmer with a wife, 5 children and 3 servants.
Bradley House, Sch 139, Henry Pain, as in 1901.
Micheldever Station, Sch 113, Thomas Twitchen, born 1845 in North Oakley and his two sisters – as in 1901.
Borough Farm, Sch 126, John Pain, as in 1901.
Weston, Sch 150, 2 Irish female friends of private means, namely M G Armstrong, the head, and E E Macmaster, friend, with 2 servants.
Weston, Sch 149, James Nicholl, as in 1901.
Norsebury, Sch 135, Frederick Bailey, as in 1901.
Northbrook House, Sch 113, Mary Hare, a widow of private means.
Interestingly, Harriet Batt, the sister of Eliza, who died in India and has a tablet to commemorate her in St Mary's Church, is still living in Church Street, aged 86. She is cared for by a nurse and has a housekeeper. She was living at 74 Micheldever in 1901. (also see 1861 overview)
The former baker, Joshua Colliss aged 63, still living in Church Street, now describes himself as a smallholder (Sch 47). But there is still a grocer in Church Street, one Ernest Tate (Sch 46). Also in Church Street lives Henry Thorn, a baker and grocer (Sch 59) with 9 other family members and a maid. The butcher in Church Street, John Gill, is assisted in his business by 4 others, one being his brother (sch 68) (Barn Cottage). The Grocer at Holly House is no longer mentioned, but Colin Filmer's history notes that it changed hands in 1911, so it must have been between households. The bootmaker, George Ford is still living in Duke Street, presumably 119 (Sch 13). The other bootmaker, Alfred Mansbridge is at The Cottage, Church Street, presumably 58 (Sch 67). There is no longer any mention of a wheelwright or blacksmith in the village.
Nor is there any evidence of a shop in West Stratton, but Woodmancote Stores was run by William Holdaway, a baker and grocer, assisted by 2 of his sons.
The vicar remains George Johnstone, born in Liverpool. He lives at the Vicarage (sch 29), scheduled between 104 Duke Street and Winchester Road, with his wife, daughter and 4 servants. (Micheldever House?)
The Headteacher of the school remains the same, Edward Lawrence, aged 54. His house is named Melrose in Church Street and he lives there with his wife (sch 58).
The Half Moon in Winchester Road is mentioned by name and is run by William Lansley (Sch 36)
By cross-checking with the Micheldever Auction Sale document, it seems likely that Sch 25 refers to the left hand part of Fardels, as James and Caroline Whatmore were living there in 1920.
Southbrook House at the end of Rook Lane, the Almshouses, is scheduled between Meadow View and Waterloo Cottages. The Caretaker is Alexander Stewart a Royal Pensioner from Scotland, married for 26 years to a woman born in Micheldever. There are 8 lodgers, three of the lodgers were also resident there in 1901 (sch 73-80).
At the Post Office in Church Street, the sub postmaster is still George Gamble (sch 61).
At the Station, there was a post office, run by Jesse Meader (sch 118) and Western Hotel run by a widower Louisa Hughes (sch 119). The Head of the school was a spinster, Maria Collins, who was being visited by her sister Caroline, also a Headteacher and a spinster. There no longer appears to be a shop at the Station.
Hopefully, this brief resume gives a taster for what can be discovered with these useful census documents.
My thanks to Colin Filmer and Tricia Patston for creating these census records and summaries.