The 1911 Census for Steventon
All persons living in Steventon on 2nd April 1911 were invited to take part in the Census for England and Wales. Steventon, was listed as a Civil Parish, part of the Rural District of Abingdon in the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Michael and All Angels and part of the Parliamentary Division of Abingdon, Berkshire.
The roots of census taking in England can be traced to the Domesday Book in 1086, and the Hundred Rolls of 1279. The first official census was in 1801, but the 1841 census, run by the new registration service, is regarded as the first modern census.
For the first time, the census of 1911 included ‘Particulars as to Marriage’. This included; Years of completed Marriage, how many children born alive, how many died and how many are still living. This gives us a great insight into the size of families of the time but also, sadly, the commonality of infant deaths during the early years of the 20th century.
The 1911 census return for Steventon tells us the population of the village was 812 persons and the number of dwellings was 192. The most common surname was Prior (72), followed by Smith (29) and Tyrrell (29). Unsurprisingly perhaps, the most common occupation was Farm Labourer.
A small number of the larger houses employed servants.
Below, as an example, is the return submitted by William Tyrrell for the Manor House, in what is now known as Church Lane.
