Find out more about the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings Documentary Research Project. If you would like to get involved email info@flaxmill-maltings.co.uk

1. Documentary Research
Project

2. Collecting Names
• The first step is to build a database of all
individuals who lived in the Castlefields and
Ditherington Area in the Nineteenth Century.
• This is done by entering Lists of individuals
into Excel spreadsheets which are then
imported into an Access Database.

3. The Census is the principal Source
for this Stage.
• We aim to capture ALL the Census Entries for
the Castlefields and Ditherington Area
between 1841 to 1891.
E
D
•
Pag
e
Schedule
No
Place
Item
Forename
Surname
Relat
to
Head
Condition
This is done from the Online Ancestry records
.
M
Age
F
Age
Occupation
County
Born
Place
Born
Deaf,
Dumb
etc

4. Progress on the Census to Date
• The Census Entries for 1841 and 1851 have
been completed. (6149 records)
• The Census Entries for 1861 are in Progress
• To be done: 1871, 1881, 1891

5. The Census forms the Core of the
Database.
• Name
• Where Living
• Age (=Year of Birth)
• Relationships to others in Household
• Occupation
• Where Born
These are manipulated in the Access Database to automatically
generate a Summary of everything the Record tells us about that
Person.
John Farmer
Age: 15. Born c 1836 Shrewsbury, Shropshire Occupation: Flax Sorter.
Living in 26 Spring Gardens. Relationship to Head of Household:
Son. Total no in Household: 11. Head of Household is William
Farmer whose Occupation is Agricultural Labourer

6. Additional Lists : The 1821 Census
• A simple List of the Heads of Households
Available on Microfiche.

7. 1851 Tithe Apportionment Schedule
• The Owners and Occupiers of all the Plots of
Land recorded in “Castle Ward Without”.
OwnSName
OwnFName
OwnSuff
Occupier
OccSName
OccFName
Corbet
Andrew William
Esq
Richard Taylor and Others
Wingfield
John
Esq
Rt Leigh and Others
Taylor and
Richard
others
Leigh and others Rt
Astley
Burton
Burton
Burton
Burton
Margaret
Robert
Robert
Robert
Robert
Joseph Barlow
Thomas Dorricot
Robert France
Christopher Whitfield
Robert Burton
Barlow
Dorricot
France
Whitfield
Burton
Plot
Description
LandUse
Owner
Andrew William Corbet Esq
John Wingfield Esq
Margaret Astley
Robert Burton
Robert Burton
Robert Burton
Robert Burton
Joseph
Thomas
Robert
Christopher
Robert
345
345a
Meadow and Pasture
Cross Hill Farm and Old Hall Farm Meadow and Pasture
etc
163 Garden
176 Garden
177 House and Garden
178 House and Garden
179 Waste adjoining river
• These were captured from the Microfilm copies
Garden
Garden
House and Garden
House and Garden
Waste adjoining river

8. Other Map Schedules
• There are other such Lists accompanying
Maps and Plans, for example an 1857 Plan for
a Railway that was not built.(Deposited Plan
371)
No
on
Plan
Description of
Property
Owners or
Reputed
Owners
Lessess or
Reputed
Lessees
Occupiers

9. The Church Rate Books 1800 to
1876
• Lists of those liable to pay the Church Rate.
No
Forename Surname
Castle Foregate
244John
Dutton
348James
France
Rents
Assessed Received Arrears
£9 0s 0d 9s 0d
No 1
9s 0d
£2 0s 0d 2s 0d
• Only available in Manuscript and difficult to
focus just on Castle fields and Ditherington

10. Monumental Inscriptions in St
Michael’s Churchyard
• These have been captured from the Record
made by the Family History Society.
MINum
Item
Forename
Surname
DeathDate
Age
BirthDate
1
Catherine
Roberts
27/09/1842
16
2
Lucy E
Hay
13/02/1849
32 15/09/1817
3
Henry
Madeley
08/04/1855
25
4
James
Wells
05/10/1856
56
5
Henry
Jones
27/07/1833
29
6
Maty
O'Bryan
01/04/1837
36 Of London
7
William
Hiles
25/02/1844
71
8A
Thomas
Milward
04/11/1836
8
8B
Hannah
Milward
00/00/1857
Comments
Brother of Hannah Milward
Sister of Thomas Milward

11. Selective Data Capture
• Parish Registers. 1796 to 1886
The Baptisms and sometimes the Burials
record Occupations.
• We can therefore go through and initially
record those with Occupations that indicate
that the individuals or their families were
connected to the Flax Mill.

12. Parish Registers. 1796 to 1886
Baptisms – Available in Microfiche
Page Entry Date
No
1
7
2
14
4
28
ChildFName FatherFName MotherFNa Surname
me
Abode
Occupation
Dyer
27/01/1813 Sarah
William
Sarah
Evans
Castle Foregate
07/02/1813 Mary
James
Elizabeth
Maclary
Castle Foregate
Weaver
04/03/1813 Thomas
Christopher
Mary
Hargrave
Castle Foregate
Flax Dresser
PerformedBy
Comment

13. Parish Registers. 1796 to 1886
Burials – Available in Microfiche
Page Entry Forename
No
81
84
85
87
91
646
Sopia
667 Alexander
Surname
Abode
When Buried Age Relatives
Castle Foregate St
Kenworthy Alkmunds C.10
03/05/1837
Carnagie
Birch's Buildings P.3 07/06/1837
673
Esther
695 Jeremiah
Hayes
France
St Michaels Street
D.3
05/07/1837
Spring Gardens C.20 13/09/1837
727
Catharine
92
733
93
741 William
Scarlett
Kenworthy Castle Foregate H 8 30/12/1837
St Michaels Street
Wynne?
05/02/1838
BB9
Ward
Castle Foregate K12 02/03/1838
Wife of John
40 Kenworthy
60
Daughter of
Edward and John
2 Hayes
22
Daughter of John
and Sophia
19 Kenworthy)
52
62
Occupation
Perfor
medBy
Overlooker
Thread Maker
RP
RP
Flax Dresser
Dyer
JBL
RP
Works in Factory (JK)
RP
Flax Dresser
Bleacher
RP
RP

14. Follow Up Data Capture
Once these Sources have been gone through we will have the
Names of Individuals with Flax Mill connexions. Using these we
can go through:•The Baptisms and Burials in the Parish Registers retrieving those
not picked up from the given Occupation.
•The Marriages in the Parish Registers – Bride, Groom,
Witnesses.
•Local Newspapers – The Shrewsbury Chronicle is becoming
available online.
•Quarter Sessions?
•Lists of Paupers receiving Relief.

15. The End Result
• A Database holding all the information we can
gather together about the individuals who
lived in Castlefields and Ditherington in the
19th Century.
• In some cases, especially with those who
worked at the Flax Mill, there will be more
than just Census data in the Database.

16. The France Family
France, George
30/03/1851
Census
Enumeration District Overlooker
3f
21 Spring
Gardens
Age: 29. Born c 1822 Shrewsbury, Shropshire Occupation: Overlooker. Living in 21 Spring
1851 Census: Enumeration
Gardens. Relationship to Head of Household: Son. Total no in Household: 5. Head of
District / HouseHold No: 3f/39
Household is Robert France whose Occupation is Dyer of Thread
Spring Gardens Age: 15. Born c 1826 In Shropshire Occupation: Thread Twister. Living in Spring Gardens.
1841 Census: HO 107/927/10.
Position in Household 4 in a total of 10. First Named in Household is Jeremiah France whose Page No: 13
Occupation is Overlooker
Spring Gardens Age: 40. Born c 1801 In Shropshire Occupation: Overlooker. Living in Spring Gardens.
1841 Census: HO 107/927/10.
Position in Household 1 in a total of 10.
Page No: 13
Spring Gardens Age: 14. Born c 1827 In Shropshire Occupation: Thread Maker. Living in Spring Gardens.
1841 Census: HO 107/927/10.
Position in Household 5 in a total of 10. First Named in Household is Jeremiah France whose Page No: 13
Occupation is Overlooker
16 Spring
Age: 50. Born c 1801 Shrewsbury, Shropshire Occupation: Overlooker at Factory. Living in 16 1851 Census: Enumeration
Gardens
Spring Gardens. Relationship to Head of Household: Head. Total no in Household: 5.
District / HouseHold No: 3f/34
France, Jane
06/06/1841
Census
Enumeration District Thread Twister
6
France, Jeremiah
06/06/1841
Census
France, Jeremiah
06/06/1841
Census
Enumeration District Overlooker
6
Enumeration District Thread Maker
6
France, Jeremiah
30/03/1851
Census
Enumeration District Overlooker at
3f
Factory
France, Jeremiah
31/12/1851
Tithe
Award
Castle Ward Within
and Castle Foregate
The Tenant of Parcel No. 246. The Landlord was Marshall & Co. The Land Use was Garden
1851 Tithe Award Map and
Schedule
France, Jeremiah
31/12/1851
Tithe
Award
Castle Ward Within
and Castle Foregate
The Tenant of Parcel No. 266. The Landlord was Marshall & Co. The Land Use was Garden
1851 Tithe Award Map and
Schedule
France, Robert
06/06/1841
Census
France, Robert
30/03/1851
Census
Enumeration District Overlooker
6
Enumeration District Dyer of Thread
3f
Spring Gardens Age: 45. Born c 1796 In Shropshire Occupation: Overlooker. Living in Spring Gardens.
Position in Household 1 in a total of 7.
21 Spring
Age: 60. Born c 1791 Tilley Park, Shropshire Occupation: Dyer of Thread. Living in 21 Spring
Gardens
Gardens. Relationship to Head of Household: Head. Total no in Household: 5.
1841 Census: HO 107/927/10.
Page No: 10
1851 Census: Enumeration
District / HouseHold No: 3f/39
France, Robert
30/03/1851
Census
Enumeration District Thread Dyer
3d
Factory
Burtons Cottage Age: 26. Born c 1825 Shrewsbury, Shropshire Occupation: Thread Dyer Factory. Living in
Burtons Cottage. Relationship to Head of Household: Head. Total no in Household: 4.
1851 Census: Enumeration
District / HouseHold No: 3d/42
France, Robert
31/12/1851
Tithe
Award
Castle Ward Within
and Castle Foregate
France, Sarah
06/06/1841
Census
Enumeration District Flax Sorter?
6
The Tenant of Parcel No. 277. The Landlord was Marshall & Co. The Land Use was Garden
1851 Tithe Award Map and
Schedule
Spring Gardens Age: 11. Born c 1830 In Shropshire Occupation: Flax Sorter?. Living in Spring Gardens.
1841 Census: HO 107/927/10.
Position in Household 6 in a total of 10. First Named in Household is Jeremiah France whose Page No: 13
Occupation is Overlooker

17. Any Questions?
Contact us at
info@flaxmill-maltings.co.uk