1851 Census

Overall numbers

Total number of people: 738

Made up of: Terrington 627 (including 31 in Mowthorpe and 33 in Wiganthorpe), Ganthorpe 111

Number of households: Terrington 133, Ganthorpe 25

By gender: Male 366, Female 372

Most common names

Most common surnames: Goodwill 9 households, Smith 5, Mortimer 4, Goodrick 4, then Tate, Hall, Waite, Lister, Jackson, Marton, Nash 3 each.

Most common girls' names: Ann 70 individuals (19% of females), Mary 58, Elizabeth 45, Jane 42, Hannah 36, Sarah 25, Ellen 16.

Most common boys' names: William 70 individuals (20% of males), John 65, Thomas 50, George 37, Robert 34, James 25, Richard 13, Francis 10.

Age distribution of the population

The first graph below shows the age distribution in Terrington and Ganthorpe in the 1851 census compared with the current UK age distribution. The numbers will be affected by changing birth rates, but assuming these are fairly constant, we see that in 1851 the fall-off in numbers occurs throughout the age range, whereas in 2019 the fall-off only gets going much later. Interestingly, in 1851 the numbers in the age ranges 0-4 and 5-9 are very similar, showing no evidence of significant child mortality.

The second graph compares the age distribution of males and females in 1851. We might expect, for example, to see some effect of death resulting from child-birth. There is no evidence for this; in fact there is a dip in the number of males in their 20s. This may just be a statistical glitch or may be due to a net movement of males in this age group away from the parish for some reason.

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Median age (Terrington 1851): 35

UK median age (2019): 40.3

Occupations

This graph shows the number of people in different occupations. A large number have no occupation specified (these are ones where the entry is blank or given as 'At home', 'Pauper', 'Annuitant' or 'Retired'). The Agriculture category includes farmers, farmers' families, and agricultural labourers. The Services category includes those providing public (eg shopkeepers) and private (eg housemaids) service. All the categories are broken down later.

Each of these 7 categories is broken down in the following sections.

1. No occupation specified (266 people)

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2. Scholars (142 people)

The graph show the ages of the scholars, which range from 3 to 18, with a peak at age 9. The graph perhaps indicates that the length of time that children spent at school was quite variable.

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3. Agriculture (184 people)

Farmers (23) and Bailiffs (2) (with acreage and number of labourers):

In addition there are 5 farmer's daughters, 4 farmer's sons and 1 farmer's wife.

The total number of labourers and boys specified by the farmers is 74, although the total number of agricultural labourers in 149. Does that mean that only half are permanently employed, with the rest taken on as needed?

Bailiff Richard Mason has a large number of employees for the acreage given. This perhaps needs explanation.

The 149 agricultural labourers are actually given as follows:

4. Gardening (6 people)

5. Trades (45 people)

All are in Terrington unless stated to be in Ganthorpe.

In some cases occupation is given as someone's wife (eg Basket maker's wife); assuming that this means that she is involved in the work, she is included in the numbers, this being noted in the table below.

Sometimes the occupation is given as journeyman or apprentice - details are given if you show the names.

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6. Services (85)

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Servants (67, not including farm servants)

Houses with the most servants:

Rectory 9

Wiganthorpe Hall 12

7. Other occupations (10)

Landed Proprietors: William Garforth (Wiganthorpe Hall), John Potter (Cliff Hall/The Lodge)

Botanist: Henry Ibbotson, Ganthorpe

School masters/mistresses: Frances Brearly, Ganthorpe; Robert Dobson, Ann Dixon, Terrington

Rector of Terrington: Charles Hall

Minister of the Primitive Methodists: Charles Smith

Police Officer: James Bilton

Gamekeeper: John Hall

Youngest and oldest workers

The following lists show the youngest workers, starting with a farm boy aged 10, and the oldest workers, showing people who still said they were agricultural labourers up to age 80.

Youngest workers (other than Scholar):

Occupations of oldest people (aged 75 or more):

Place of birth

Outside England: New York, Lower Canada, Ireland, 1 each.

*Adjacent parishes: Airy Holme, Baxtonhowe, Bulmer, Coneysthorpe, Coulton, Hovingham, Scackleton, School House Hill, Sheriff Hutton, Skewsby, Slingsby, Stittenham, Swathgill, Welburn, Whenby.

**Next nearest parishes: Amotherby, Appleton-le-Street, Barton-le-Street, Cawton, Farlington, Flaxton, Huttons Ambo, Lilling, Nunnington, Stearsby, Stonegrave, Swinton, Thornton le Clay, Whitwell.

Marital status

The numbers of married, widowed and unmarried people are shown in the next table.

Youngest married person: 1 person aged 19.

Oldest married couple: Richard and Ellen Goodwill, both aged 74.

The percentage of people in each age group who were or had been married (ie were married or widowed at the time of the census) was as follows:

These figures seem to imply that marriage started at about age 20 and continued in significant numbers through the 20s and 30s.

The birth locations of marriage partners shows that the majority of people married outside of their birth parish.

These figures seem to indicate that about 1 person in 6 who married, married someone within the parish.