Village Life in The 1870s
The village layout of both Church Lawford and Kings Newnham remained fairly constant during Victorian times. The farms to the south were similar to those seen now – with the exception of Ling Hall farm, which became an aerodrome for World War 2. Church Lawford village itself was smaller, with the populated area ending at Smithy Lane, leaving a bigger gap to Kings Newnham, which had a similar footprint to that seen throughout the twentieth century. The entire area, with the exception of areas owned by the church, was part of the Manor of the Duke of Buccleuch, who had taken control of the Church Lawford, Kings Newnham and Dunchurch areas in the 1860s from Lord John Scott (1809-60 – whose memorial is in the centre of Dunchurch). The majority of the population were either tenant farmer families or their workforce.
At these times the village streets were not officially named, and the village cottages were numbered for the complete village.
Church Lawford Families in 1871.
In Victorian times the concept of a national census every 10 years was established. These would complement the Tithe Registers that showed the breakdown of land tenancy into defined parcels of land. Each Land occupier then paid their tithe – a tenth of their produce – to the church, as well as any rent to their Landlord. The schedule from one of these Tithe Registers, from earlier in the Victorian Era, is shown below.
By the time of the 1871 census information was being gathered on all villages, including age, occupation and place of birth.
The various family names found in the village in the 1871 census were: Adler, Allen, Banbury x2, Barnwell, Barratt, Beer(s) x2, Bench, Benn, Billingham, Brierly, Brunt, Burnham, Burton, Bushill, Cooke (x2), Cotton (x2), Crofts, Dalton (x2), Douglas, Downing (x2), Drage, Dumbleton (x3), Dunkley, Frankton (x3), Frost, Gibbs, Goodliffe, Hiorns (x3), Holmes, Hunt, Jones (x4), Kirk, Line, Mann, Nevins (x2), Nicholls, Oliver, Prew (x4), Samuel, Sewell, Shelton, Smith, Timms, Twining, Waddington, Wanchope, Whiteman.
For Kings Newnham the families in 1871 were Adams, Bradford, Brierly, Brown (x2), Collins, Craxford, Farmer, Hill, Holtam, Jakeman, Jennings, Kenney, Knight, Liggins, Martin, Masters, Oliver, Rose (x3), Smith, Townsend, Treen, Ward (x2), Watson, Worth, Wyatt.
The Village School
The village school served both villages, and was at the top of what is now School Street, having been set up by Lord John Scott in 1849. It catered for all the children of the combined parish – from ages 5 to 14. There was also a night school for adults. By the 1870s it was supported by the Duke of Buccleuch, who was now Lord of the Manor.
Farms and Dwellings
The parish was split into the various farms, plus the village itself. All were part of the Manor owned by the Duke of Buccleuch apart from any Glebe land owned by the Church. The various farms were in ownership in 1871 as follows:
The Grange – Harry Brierly (220 Acres Employing 12 men and 3 boys)
Lime Stone House – John Dalton / William Dalton Adcox (Farmer of 240 Acres Employing 1 man & 2 Boys)
The Rookery – William J Crofts (Occupying 200 acres Employing 8 Men and 2 Boys)
Ling Hall – Joseph Line / Henry Cave (125 Acres employing 3 men and 1 boy)
Mount Pleasant – Richard Barnwell (140 Acres employing 3 men and 2 boys)
The Lodge – John Ewins Bennett (360 acres managed by farm bailiff John Waddington).
Manor Farm – William Samuel Townsend (450 Acres 8 men and 1 Boy)
In Kings Newnham the main farms were:
Newnham Grounds – William Bradford
Newnham Hall – Harry Brierly (Farmer and Miller)
Manor Farm – William Henry Worth Townsend (brother of the notable Worth Townsend sisters). William’s widowed mother also owned farm property in Kings Newnham.
During the remainder of the time that the villages were owned by the Duke of Buccleuch and his short-term successor Lord Dalkeith, there were additional farms and smallholdings established in Church Lawford village itself, including Village Farm (84 acres), Fir Tree Farm and the areas opposite the rectory and around Smithy Lane. In Kings Newnham there were similar small holdings.
Key Business areas included the Village Smithy, The Grocery, The Post Office, the Butchery (with associated smallholding), the Wheelwright’s premises and the White Lion Public House. Other trades included Brickmaker, Carpenter (sawyer) and Baker. There was also a local shoemaker.
The various village cottages were arranged in blocks of one, two, three or four, and were often sublet by the various farmers to their farm labourers.
Communication
Communication in those times was based around a local carrier, who scheduled journeys to Rugby twice weekly, and also to Coventry twice weekly. Although the main railway had bisected the parish in 1838, the nearest stations were at Brandon & Wolston and at Brinklow, as well at Rugby. From 1871 there was also a station at Dunchurch on the Rugby to Leamington line, near Potsford Dam that was useful for local farms.
Longer distance road travel would be via stagecoach, with a major staging point at Dunchurch.
Social Governance
The Parish would have various Parish Officers, possibly including Overseers, Surveyors and a Constable. These would complement any Manorial roles appointed by the Lord of the Manor. Two parishioners would be elected as overseers of the poor, who would collect rates from their fellow parishioners in order to provide relief to anyone in need, pay for pauper funerals and ensure able bodied poor people were provided with work. There was a village Alms House, known as Haven House, throughout the latter part of the 19th century, although increasingly Parish relief was given to those in need while they remained in their existing homes. This was distinct from the Rugby Poor Law Union, formed in 1836, which provided a centralised workhouse facility to the local parishes.
The Surveyor was elected to report on road conditions and maintenance work carried out. The Village Constable role was being replaced by a County Police role around this time. The various parish roles were usually the responsibility of local farmers or tradesmen. The compulsory payment of a Church Rate was abolished in 1868.
Another key role in the Parish was that of the Church Warden, with a wide range of roles linked to the church. Prior to the introduction of Parish Councils in 1894 the parish committee known as the Vestry would set various charges in the parish, as well as appointing the Church Warden and the Overseers and recording support given to the poor in the Vestry book.
An excellent resource discussing these various Parish and Manorial Roles is at https://media.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php/the-parish-administration-and-records/
The Village Green
In Victorian times the village green would have been dominated by two large Elm trees, the largest and oldest of which had fallen down during the period, leaving a large stump, surrounded by seating. The green was also the location of the Village Stocks, which were removed around the turn of the 20th century.
Business Directory Referencing the Old Church (1850)
Business Directory Entry From 1870s after the new church was built.
In Those Days
What was happening in England while the church was being rebuilt?
Monarch-Queen Victoria
Prime Ministers – Gladstone 1868-1874 and Disraeli 1874-1880
The Vote-The 1867 Reform Act has given the vote to all male heads of households and lodgers who paid rent of more than £10 a year
1872
March- The first F.A. Cup Final
July- The Ballot Act passed introducing a secret ballot for elections
August-The Licensing Act passed which established licences for Public Houses and limited opening hours.
1872 was the wettest calendar year with 50.6 inches ( the most rain since then was in 2012, 49 inches.
1873
April -J.S. Fry produced the first chocolate Easter Egg
April- The Kennel Club was founded
June- Alice Vickery became the first qualified female pharmacist.
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson became the first female to be admitted to the British Medical Association
1874
July- The G.P.O agreed to the replacement of bronze green post and pillar boxes with red ones.
The Public Worship Regulation Act was passed which prohibited ritualistic practices in the Church of England.
The Factory Act established a 56 hour working week and banned children from working as chimney sweeps.