Community News & Events

I have now photographed about half of the Parish of Newborough – this is all the out-lying properties – just the village itself remains to do. I have learnt one or two things about photographing buildings – don’t choose a very sunny day (the shadows cast hide features), don’t go on ‘Bin’ day (bins always seem to be placed centre to the dwelling) and don’t go at weekends – too many parked cars!

I have had several visits to the County Record Office at Stafford, where my main interest lately has been with the 1839 Tithe Map and Apportionment for Newborough. Luckily both survive for the parish. I have copied out details from the Apportionment, which is a list of properties, giving the Landowner, the Occupier, a description of the property (i.e. house, buildings, yards, crofts, fields etc) the state of cultivation (i.e. pasture, meadow, woods, or arable etc. (and if arable what the crops are), the acreage, and the amount of rent charge payable in lieu of tithe. Each property and field is numbered and these are shown on the map. Unfortunately the map for Newborough cannot be photocopied or traced. It is also rather large to photograph satisfactorily and is not very clear in parts and a little crumpled. I have therefore traced a more modern map, and am marking on this the position of the properties as they appear on the Tithe map. The parish boundary is slightly different on the 1839 map, but most of the roads and lanes are the same.

Trade Directories are also useful to a point. They list ‘important’ residents in the parish along with tradesmen & farmers. Unfortunately full addresses are not always given so it is difficult sometimes to be absolutely sure who lived at what property at a given time. The same goes for the Census – a fascinating source to consult to find out who lived at various addresses. Census have been taken every 10 years since 1841 and the last available easily for consultation is 1901. In rural parishes such as Newborough properties are not always named, just the road or lane or even area given, so once again a frustrating source!

My next search of archives will be the Turnpike Company records, as a turnpike road bisects the parish, and there may be details of landowners etc. adjoining the route.