1841 Census

1841 Henham, Little Henham and Pledgdon Census

A number of the Census Returns have been transcribed. The Censuses are conducted every 10 years and are kept secret by the government for 100 years. There were limited censuses conducted prior to 1881. The 1841 is the earliest that has been found in relation to the parish but below is a photograph of the 1734 Essex Poll Book.

1841 Census Introduction

The 1841 Census shows there were 693 people (352 male & 341 female). There were 148 inhabited and 4 uninhabited houses in Henham and Little Henham including Mead Lane and Wood End Green.

In the hamlet of Pledgedon, which is part of the parish of Henham, there were 31 inhabited properties and 2 uninhabited. This shows there were 149 people (86 males and 63 females), the enumerator recorded that “four men gone in the hay country”.

This is the first complete accurate record of the inhabitants of the parish of Henham and shows the total population of 842.

The enumerator John Mumford, also responsible for identifying unusual/abnormal changes, reported that since 1840 some 31 people had gone ‘˜to the neighbourhood of London for haymaking, labourers, males from 15-60 years’ and that 37 had gone ‘˜to the Union Workhouse’.

From his returns, you can see that he entered the village by Henham Mill, then to The Row, past the Star Public House walked eastwards probably on the south side of the High Street, and into Wood End Green. He then retraced his steps on the north side of the High Street, to the Cock Public House.

He then travelled up to The Parsonage, then Henham Hall and around the village before going off to Little Henham.
When you scan down the ages of the men, it is apparent that there were very few aged in their forties in the village at the time of the census in June. So it would seem that the eldest of the fittest temporary left the village for the lure of a higher wage harvesting in the fields of Tottenham and Enfield.

An empty line indicates the next property shown on the Census.