I would be interested to know if there is any reason for migration between 1820 and 1840 Shropshire to Staffordshire. Not being conversant with either of these areas apart from Family Tree research any ideas would be appreciated. Would records be kept of someone moving counties. Thankyou for any help..
Dear Mr Kemp,
Thankyou so much for your reply - my previous forum message 'TARTS IN SHROPSHIRE' relates to the research I am doing at the moment. Sussanah Tart was in Shrewsbury Gaol from 24th November 1819 and released in 23rd November 1820 sentenced for bastardy. Her son John baptised 17th January 1820 at St Mary's Shrewsbury.. John is next found on the 1841 census living with his wife Eliza (nee Taylor) in 90 Smith Street Bilston Staffordshire and I have not found Sussanah since 1821. My research has had a gap of 20 years for the past 11 years so any help would be much appreciated. Many Thanks.
1820-1840 era makes me think, possible advancements, demands upon the Staffordshire bone china industry (amongst other growing STS and Midlands industrial revolutionary activity). On a recent PACE Family reunion at Kansas City, I toured the steamer, ARABIA Museum, sunk in the meandering Missouri River abt. 1848. The quantity of Staffordshire china, crystal vases, wide variety of other goods, recovered, and in immaculate condition is totally amazing, and an accurate testimony to the demand for English Midlands industrial output of the early to mid 1800s. I was rather proud to see these goods, as our ancestry played a creative part in the US mid-west development. Such is the story in so many other parts of this world, in those days, the demand for manufactured goods, from the English Midlands. It is rather obvious, to me anyway, that our ancestors migrated towards Staffordshire industry, then beyond, carrying their skills. We ourselves are a product of our Midlands ancestors. Perhaps Kelly's Directory will have records that connect ancestors to their trades and professions so a clearer sighting of their occupational worth can be revealed and why they may have migrated towards their futures. GTP
Although my ancestors didn't move to Staffordshire, four siblings plus another relative moved from Myddle and were all married in Marylebone between 1799 and 1808. I do wonder why this group decided to move. Presumably it was to find work and better prospects
Jean
Thankyou for your very interesting response, I found your input really helpful and will bear in mind all what you have said. Thankyou again..........Athom
Thankyou for your remarks Jean, it interests me too because with little transport for people and the cost I would think it would be very difficult to move counties - not that I have anything concrete to tell me this. Thankyou Ann
Dear Mr Kemp
I was very interested in your reply last July, if you can offer more information and are not a member of SFHS please can you send your e mail through our enquiry section@ SFHS.
Regards Athom
I have spoken to Jack Kemp and sent his email address to Athom.
Some of my ancestors, originating from Shrewsbury, moved successively to Lincoln, Crewe, Cardiff, Sheffield and Manchester between 1860 and 1900. Their occupations were stated as carpenters and Railway Wagon makers. I believe there was a substantial railway works in Shrewsbury from the earliest times of the railways. The advent of the railways brought lots of new employment opportunities that never existed previously, and people followed the work that became available across the entire country.
Ornate wagons were made for foreign railways in South American countries and some Shropshire residents could have migrated further afield right from the very start of the coming of the "Iron horse."
I have also been doing some research into migration across country by my ancestors. My G.G. grandfather was born and grew up in Ardleigh, Essex, and was still there at the time of the 1851 census. By 1855 he was getting married in Diddlebury, Shropshire, to a local girl. By the time of the 1861 census he was at Wivenhoe, Essex, with his young family, but by November of that same year his 4th son was being born back in Diddlebury. All subsequent children were also born in Diddlebury. As he was an agricultural labourer in every available census, this raises a number of questions I've yet to find answers for.
What made him cross the country, and why Shropshire? I can find no trace of family already there, and I have not been able to trace any landowners with estates in both counties.
How did he make this journey? I made enquiries about train travel and found out that a network of rail services was in place by then, and the government of the day had enforced a schedule of cheap fares to enable the poor to make use of trains, but that's as far as my research took me. Travel by canal is also a possibility.
Why did he return to Essex? Family reasons/connection? offer of work? I have no answer.
Why did he go back to Shropshire? Possibly because his wife was homesick? More importantly how could he afford to move a young family (wife and 3 kids) back and forth, on a labourers wages.
It might be easier to understand if he had moved to an industrial heartland (Stafford?) where the motive would almost certainly be in search of work, but from Essex to Shropshire and still be a labourer? There has to be a reason, but so far the answer eludes me.
Dear David, Thankyou for your very interesting information. Ann
Dear John
My Family moved from Shropshire to Staffordshire but I do not know the exact time, I am missing 1820 to 1841 in my research at the moment when they appear in Census. They worked as stone makers and miners in Staffordshire so I imagine work was more available. Going back from 1820 the TART Family were around Leighton for 400 years. Transport must have been affordable to them but what type I do not know. Thankyou for your e mail. Ann
My Great great great great grandmother Judith GRANT moved around the country starting in Leicestershire, then Shropshire (the Boat House, Hampton Loade) in 1861, and later on in Nuneaton and back to Leicester. She appears to have been accompanying her husband (but no marriage certificate yet found) John WOOD, who was a railway labourer. John would have moved from place to place following the construction activity; in 1862 the Severn Valley Railway was completed, so I suppose that's what he was building in 1861. Whilst in Shropshire they shared this dwelling with eight or nine other navvies, so I guess she was the 'housekeeper' for all of them. Terry Coleman's excellent book 'The Railway Navvies' gives a good summary of the dreadful situation of these people who moved around the country between about 1825 and 1880.
If anyone knows which building 'The Boat House' might have been, I'd be very interested to know. A visit to Hampton Loade a fortnight ago didn't find it.
Carolyn
Dear Carolyn,
Your reply is very interesting and I agree people moved for work but what I am not clear about is how they afforded to move around. My ancestors moved for work either in mining or as stonemasons and although I have found them in 1820 shropshire then in 1841 staffordshire I do not know how to find how and when the move happened. Thankyou again Ann
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I have indexed over 9000 Settlement papers (1650 to 1850) held in Staffordshire Record Office. Over 750 of the migrants were from Shropshire, possible looking for work
It should be on line at Staffordshire Record Office in the near future, however I am prepared to search my name index if needed.
Yours Jack Kemp