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Stoke Row Census Return 1861

Parish of Ipsden

Night of Sunday, 7 April 1861

A book on the history of this village, called Dipping into the Wells, is available; details here.

Notes on the Stoke Row 1861 Census

It should be borne in mind that this Census was completed three years before the sinking of the Maharajah's Well in 1864.

No 4: Scott's Farm: On the west side of the Stoke Row to Checkendon Lane.  Scotts Common is in this area, whereas Nuthatch Farm is on the left as one enters Checkendon and the area on the hill was all known as Nuthatch.

No 6: Johnson's Cottage: The first instance found in the Censuses so far, of a cottage being named after the resident, who was, presumably the proud owner!  This one may have been on the left hand side as one enters Checkendon.  By 1861 several other cottages also had names, although their exact whereabouts are unknown.

No 14: Bodys - Name and position unknown.  William Holland was a woodman, but his wife is listed as a School Mistress (Day School) - whether she taught at Stoke Row or Checkendon, is unknown.

No l7: John Hope was a 'Carrier, Van and one horse'.  See also No 37, Catherine Lester, 'Carrier - donkey & cart' and No 57, Mary Turner, a 'Carrier with one Horse & Cart'.

No 19: Caroline Wooton: 'House Servant, out of place' (unemployed?).

No 22: William B Reade, 'County Magistrate & Land Owner' - the name of the house is not given, but it was probably was probably Basset Manor (Ipsden Reades?).

No 27: Stoke Row School: John Wilson was an Ag Lab, but his wife was 'A School Mistress of a British Day and Sunday School'.  The School was founded in 1853 and this may well have been the School House, which is still in existence, but used today as the school office.

No 32: Barmuda Cottage (sic).  It is obvious that the owners had some connections with the West Indies, Evelina Heseltine having been born there.  She may have met her husband while he was 'Collector H M Customs' from whom he received a pension.  The exact whereabouts of this house is unknown.

No 34: 'The Parsonage', later known as 'The Vicarage'.

No 35: 'Giles Cottage', owned by James Giles,'Master Builder', it now forms the basis of 'Giles Farm', Main Street.

No 36: The name of the house is not given, but was almost certainly that which later became 'The Rest', then 'Bodgers', and is now known as 'Virginia Cottage', on the Main Street.  James Cox, here aged 29, became a very important man in later life.  Even at this stage he was a 'Master Builder, employing 2 men and an apprentice'.  He was also a pillar of the Independent Chapel in Stoke Row.

No 37: Catherine Lester, the carrier, probably lived in the old cottage on the site of Alma Green, see the 'Stoke Row Houses: Alma Green' file.

No 39: James Hewitt, 55, was a Sheep Dealer.  An unusual entry for his eldest son, James, was that he was 'employed at home', and his next son, Charles, 19, was a 'butcher' - perhaps there was a small abbatoir at the back of the home?

No 40: 'The Boarded House'. This sounds as if it was made of shiplap boards, like those in East Anglia.  May be what later became the barn at the side of the Oak public house, though that is not mentioned.  John Grainger, 'Chelsea Out Pensioner', mentioned in the 1851 census, was still there.

No 42: The Pot Kiln.  Home of Benjamin Readings, Red Ware Potter, was almost certainly adjacent to the Brick Kiln behind 'Clayhill House' at the top of Stoke Row Hill.  No 43, George Readings, presumably his son, was also in the business, and No 64, Charles Whittick, aged 27, was 'Clerk in the Red Ware Pottery'.

No 47: Joseph Lester's two sons, Joseph 15 and even John aged only 11, were both Plow (Plough) Boys.

No 52 John Seaman, a lodger, aged 28 was a 'Constable in the Oxfordshire Constabulary.  Presumably this was a property rented by the O C.  The semi-detached Police House and Millstone Cottage were probably built after this date.

No 56: Joseph Rogers, 'Boot & Shoemaker, employing 2 men and an apprentice'.  The apprentice is listed as living at the house - he came from Goring, so this was probably standard practice.  Many of the women are listed as Field Workers.

No 65: Thomas Adams was a ' Blacksmith' - this may have been at what is now known as Cherry Tree Cottage in Newlands Lane and was once a Forge.

No 66: Lewis's Farm, owned by Richard Lewis, with 8 acres, was probably today's Stag Farm in Newlands Lane.

No 71 is not listed as a Public House, but may have been The Cherry Tree, as Martha Turner was a 'Publican' here and Martha Pembroke was listed in the Victualler's Recognances as Publican in 1853.  George Pembroke may have been her son and she may have remarried - the union producing two younger children.

No 75: George Hope owned Stoke Row Farm, '160 acres, employing 6 men and two boys - he was also a 'Brick Maker, employing 6 men'.  His wife is mentioned as 'Farmer's Wife' and even his son as 'Farmer's Son', which seems to have given these people some importance.

There were 75 properties: 147 males, 137 females = total pop: 284. (including visitors).

Angela Spencer-Harper.  February, 2002.