The story of Withington in just twenty objects, chosen at random and delivered in a couple of paragraphs.
During its long history Withington remained a small agricultural community until the middle of the 19th century.
Most families earned a living from the land or in related trades, leaving just a handful who described themselves, as “merchants”, professionals or relied on “independent means”.
The earliest population returns were for the year 1774 and record that in Withington there were 71 houses, tenanted by 73 families which amounted to 438 individuals.
Of these 162 were under the age of 15, 58 above 50, fifteen over 60 and nine above 70.
To this can be added the returns for the hamlet of Fallowfield which consisted of 15 houses tenanted by 15 families and totaled just 60 people.
In 1801 the entire township contained 133 houses and 743 inhabitants while a decade later the population had risen by 911 and despite a slight fall in 1821 the trend was ever upwards, and so in 1851 the total number residing in Withington stood at 1,492 occupying 259 properties.
Nor is that quite all, for like the rest of the country the township was divided between those who could vote which amounted to just 61 in 1854, and the rest.
Which just leaves me to conclude that in the same year Withington had 3 pubs, and 5 beer-houses,* but had “no mill or manufactury, no colliery, railway, river or canal”. **
Location; Withington
Picture; Withington village in 1854, from the OS for Lancashire, courtesy of Digital Archives Association, http://www.digitalarchives.co.uk/
*Publicans, inn keepers and beer sellers, taken from the 1851 census for Withington. Bowker, Elizabeth, inn keeper at the Sherwood, Enu 2b 17, Chorlton, John, White Lion, Enu 2c 16, Chorlton, George Enu 2b 19, Garwood, Charles Enu 2c 3, Hampson, Joseph, Enu 2c 18, Sharples, Thomas Enu 2b 22
**Booker, John, Rev., A History of the Chapels of Didsbury & Chorlton, 1857, page 127
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| Withington in 1854 |
Most families earned a living from the land or in related trades, leaving just a handful who described themselves, as “merchants”, professionals or relied on “independent means”.
The earliest population returns were for the year 1774 and record that in Withington there were 71 houses, tenanted by 73 families which amounted to 438 individuals.
Of these 162 were under the age of 15, 58 above 50, fifteen over 60 and nine above 70.
To this can be added the returns for the hamlet of Fallowfield which consisted of 15 houses tenanted by 15 families and totaled just 60 people.
In 1801 the entire township contained 133 houses and 743 inhabitants while a decade later the population had risen by 911 and despite a slight fall in 1821 the trend was ever upwards, and so in 1851 the total number residing in Withington stood at 1,492 occupying 259 properties.
Nor is that quite all, for like the rest of the country the township was divided between those who could vote which amounted to just 61 in 1854, and the rest.
Which just leaves me to conclude that in the same year Withington had 3 pubs, and 5 beer-houses,* but had “no mill or manufactury, no colliery, railway, river or canal”. **
Location; Withington
Picture; Withington village in 1854, from the OS for Lancashire, courtesy of Digital Archives Association, http://www.digitalarchives.co.uk/
*Publicans, inn keepers and beer sellers, taken from the 1851 census for Withington. Bowker, Elizabeth, inn keeper at the Sherwood, Enu 2b 17, Chorlton, John, White Lion, Enu 2c 16, Chorlton, George Enu 2b 19, Garwood, Charles Enu 2c 3, Hampson, Joseph, Enu 2c 18, Sharples, Thomas Enu 2b 22
**Booker, John, Rev., A History of the Chapels of Didsbury & Chorlton, 1857, page 127
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