In some respects the various articles throughout this archive reflect village life through the ages. The early days are reflected in the findings of ancient artefacts, as well as the writings about historical events, notably in Kings Newnham with the Mineral Baths coming to the attentions of Queen Elizabeth I, and the links to the crown of Newnham Regis itself. The history of the Manor, jointly and separately reflects social and economic histories of the time, with the enclosures of land and the payments of various taxes and rents.
Historic documents by eminent historians reflect the background to the two villages, and the early maps also show how they evolved.
The periods where village life was governed by both the Manorial System and the parish system are reflected in various articles, and the tithe system is documented to provide a useful insight into village life and inhabitants in both the 18th and 19th centuries.
At the time of the modernisation of St Peters Church in 1873 the Victorian village life is documented here.
Details of Village Trades present in the two villages by the end of the nineteenth century are in this link.
Various pages to be found here on Social Life illustrate the life and times of villagers at the start of the 20th Century, with the village shows being significant, as were the various outings that gave a break from village life. One of the best insights is in the detailed report from the Rugby Advertiser of the Triennial King’s Newnham Produce and Industrial Exhibition, where the sort of skills possessed by the villagers to help be self-sufficient in both food and household items are highlighted. The 1903 show report is here, and the 1909 report is here.
The various reflections of Villagers also give further insight to the period – the John Brierly review looks at the Farming community, with the Ron Hence review looking at general village life.
At the start of the twentieth century the first ripples of a period of change had begun, and although slowed by the Great War, by the time of the 1921 census there were some initial signs of bigger changes to come.
In nineteenth century versions of the census, and through to 1901 almost all the villagers were employed locally, mostly on farms or in trades that supported that life. By 1921 there were initial signs that some of the population were looking to embrace other employment alongside farming. Eight villagers listed Bluemels of Wolston as their employer, and three others worked for British Thomson Houston (BTH) in Rugby. Other employment outside of the village was with the Railway (7) and the building trade. They tended to be younger members of families at this stage, rather than the family breadwinner.
There was also an indication of unemployment, a sign of the hard times associated with those inter-war years.
One factor that was to facilitate some of this change was the improvement in Transportation, with the introduction of the Coventry to Rugby Midland Red Bus Service during the 1920s allowing travel to places of employment in Rugby, Wolston, Ryton or Coventry more easily.
The table below summarises the available data for Church Lawford from the three most recently published Censuses – 1901, 1911 and 1921 (It is more difficult to spot population trends in King’s Newnham data due to smaller sample sizes, differences in transport options and closer ties with the farming community).
| Role | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | |
| Farmer | 9 | 10 | 9 | |
| Farm Labour | 28 | 41 | 42 | |
| Local Trade | 13 | 25 | 17 | |
| Remote Trade | 0 | 6 | 23 | |
| Servant | 17 | 13 | 11 | |
| Railway | 3 | 4 | 7 | |
| Adults | 124 | 143 | 183 | |
| Children | 55 | 78 | 80 | |
| Senior | 21 | 11 | 13 | |
| Total | 200 | 232 | 276 | |
| In Work | 70 | 99 | 109 | |
Details of transportation changes and the impact on mobility can be found here.
The trend towards people working in remote trades might also have been exacerbated in following years with the introduction of more and more housing not directly tied to farming – the Council Houses around 1930, those shortly after the Second World War in Pleasant View / Coronation Road and the Airey Houses by the 1950s. Other changes in village population would be facilitated by the temporary accommodations provided at the Mount Pleasant Caravan Site in the 1960s / 70s.
In King’s Newnham some of the “non-farming” activities were on the wane rather earlier, including Kings Newnham Baths and Lime Works.
Recollections from villagers about village life during the past century or more can be found here.
Village Life after the Second World War is discussed here.