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Population
Bedfordshire is the most purely agricultural county in England, having the smallest proportional number of inhabitants engaged in manufactures and trade. Indeed, it can hardly be said that the county contains any persons engaged in manufactures. At the census of 1831 it was found that thirty-eight males above twenty years of age were so employed, but these few persons might with equal propriety have been included among the class engaged in trade or handicraft, their employment being for the most part that of straw-platting. Bedfordshire is one of the very few counties which has maintained, relatively to other counties, the same position as regards the employment of the people at each of the enumeration’s of 1811, 1821, and 1831. The proportions in which the inhabitants were employed at each of those dates were as follows:
Agriculture :
1811 : 63.1 per cent
1821 : 61.9 per cent
1831 : 56.8 per cent
Trade, manufactures, &c
1811 : 27.9 per cent
1821 : 27.8 per cent
1831 : 25.7 per cent
Other classes
1811 : 9.0 per cent
1821 : 10.3 per cent
1831 : 17.5 per cent
The proportions for all England were : -
Agriculture
1811 : 34.7 per cent
1821 : 33.0 per cent
1831 : 27.7 per cent
Trade, manufactures, &c.
1811 : 45.9 per cent
1821 : 47.6 per cent
1831 : 43.0 per cent
Other classes
1811 : 19.4 per cent
1821 : 19.4 per cent
1831 : 29.2 per cent
The diminution in the proportion of families in Bedfordshire engaged in agriculture in 1831 was not sufficiently great to place the county in this respect after any other.
The population of Bedfordshire at each of the four enumeration’s made in the present century was as follows:
1801 : 63,393
1811 : 70,213 ; increase 10.75 per cent.
1821 : 83,716 ; increase 19.23 per cent
1831 : 95,483 ; increase 13.93 per cent
showing an increase in the course of thirty years of 32,090 souls, or 50½ per cent.
The ages of the population were ascertained in 1821, at which time there were in Bedfordshire :-
Under 20 years old : 20,967 males ; 20,955 females
Between 20 and 40 : 10,085 males ; 12,461 females
Between 40 and 60 : 6,298 males ; 6,725 females
Above 60 years : 3,031 males ; 3,175 females
Age unknown : 4 males ; 15 females
The following summary of the population, as it stood at the last enumeration in May, 1831, is taken from Mr. Rickman's abstract of the returns, and exhibits a sufficiently detailed account of the number and occupations of the inhabitants of the county :
Barford Hundred
Families : 1,211
Houses, inhabited : 1,152
Houses, building : 2
Houses, uninhabited : 18
Families employed in agriculture : 943
Families employed in trade, manufactures, and handicraft : 213
All other families not comprised in the two preceding classes : 55
Males : 2,862
Females : 3,018
Total of persons : 5,880
Males twenty years of age : 1,333
Biggleswade Hundred
Families : 1,976
Houses, inhabited : 1,780
Houses, building : 11
Houses, uninhabited : 23
Families employed in agriculture : 1,047
Families employed in trade, manufactures, and handicraft : 517
All other families not comprised in the two preceding classes : 412
Males : 4,859
Females : 4,837
Total of persons : 9,696
Males twenty years of age : 2,334
Clifton Hundred
Families : 1,073
Houses, inhabited : 999
Houses, building : 12
Houses, uninhabited : 17
Families employed in agriculture : 672
Families employed in trade, manufactures, and handicraft : 245
All other families not comprised in the two preceding classes : 156
Males : 2,785
Females : 2,773
Total of persons : 5,558
Males twenty years of age : 1,287
Flitt Hundred
Families : 2,480
Houses, inhabited : 2,239
Houses, building : 29
Houses, uninhabited : 30
Families employed in agriculture : 1,495
Families employed in trade, manufactures, and handicraft : 554
All other families not comprised in the two preceding classes : 431
Males : 5,901
Females : 6,270
Total of persons : 12,171
Males twenty years of age : 2,797
Manshead Hundred
Families : 4,456
Houses, inhabited : 4,004
Houses, building : 37
Houses, uninhabited : 77
Families employed in agriculture : 2,170
Families employed in trade, manufactures, and handicraft : 1,411
All other families not comprised in the two preceding classes : 875
Males : 10,259
Females : 10,965
Total of persons : 21,224
Males twenty years of age : 5,052
Redbornestoke Hundred
Families : 2,885
Houses, inhabited : 2,509
Houses, building : 8
Houses, uninhabited : 56
Families employed in agriculture : 1,870
Families employed in trade, manufactures, and handicraft : 646
All other families not comprised in the two preceding classes : 369
Males : 6,475
Females : 6,835
Total of persons : 13,310
Males twenty years of age : 3,101
Stodden Hundred
Families : 1,196
Houses, inhabited : 1,089
Houses, building : 8
Houses, uninhabited : 28
Families employed in agriculture : 873
Families employed in trade, manufactures, and handicraft : 185
All other families not comprised in the two preceding classes : 138
Males : 2,696
Females : 2,815
Total of persons : 5,511
Males twenty years of age : 1,302
Willey Hundred
Families : 1,802
Houses, inhabited : 1,619
Houses, building : 14
Houses, uninhabited : 22
Families employed in agriculture : 1,178
Families employed in trade, manufactures, and handicraft : 385
All other families not comprised in the two preceding classes : 239
Males : 4,199
Females : 4,428
Total of persons : 8,627
Males twenty years of age : 2,078
Wixamtree Hundred
Families : 1,393
Houses, inhabited : 1,190
Houses, building : 5
Houses, uninhabited : 4
Families employed in agriculture : 1,046
Families employed in trade, manufactures, and handicraft : 189
All other families not comprised in the two preceding classes : 158
Males : 3,212
Females : 3,335
Total of persons : 6,547
Males twenty years of age : 1,610
Bedford, Borough
Families : 1,544
Houses, inhabited : 1,397
Houses, building : 45
Houses, uninhabited : 49
Families employed in agriculture : 70
Families employed in trade, manufactures, and handicraft : 792
All other families not comprised in the two preceding classes : 682
Males : 3,202
Females : 3,757
Total of persons : 6,959
Males twenty years of age : 1,677
TOTALS FOR BEDFORDSHIRE 1831 :
Families : 20,016
Houses, inhabited : 17,978
Houses, building : 171
Houses, uninhabited : 324
Families employed in agriculture : 11,364
Families employed in trade, manufactures, and handicraft : 5,137
All other families not comprised in the two preceding classes : 3,515
Males : 46,450
Females : 49,033
Total of persons : 95,483
Males twenty years of age : 22,571
DETAILS OF EMPLOYMENT
Barford Hundred
Agriculture, occupiers employing labourers : 108
Agriculture, occupiers not employing labourers : 35
Agriculture, employed labourers : 811
Employed in manufacture or making manufacturing machinery : 1
Employed in retail trade or in handicraft as masters or workmen : 248
Capitalists, bankers, professional and other educated men : 22
Labourers employed in labour not agricultural : 34
Other males, twenty years of age (except servants) : 33
Male servants, twenty years of age : 41
Male servants, under twenty years : 39
Female servants : 133
Biggleswade Hundred
Agriculture, occupiers employing labourers : 117
Agriculture, occupiers not employing labourers : 97
Agriculture, employed labourers : 1,138
Employed in manufacture or making manufacturing machinery : 0
Employed in retail trade or in handicraft as masters or workmen : 503
Capitalists, bankers, professional and other educated men : 65
Labourers employed in labour not agricultural : 239
Other males, twenty years of age (except servants) : 133
Male servants, twenty years of age : 42
Male servants, under twenty years : 14
Female servants : 284
Clifton Hundred
Agriculture, occupiers employing labourers : 135
Agriculture, occupiers not employing labourers : 32
Agriculture, employed labourers : 660
Employed in manufacture or making manufacturing machinery : 0
Employed in retail trade or in handicraft as masters or workmen : 308
Capitalists, bankers, professional and other educated men : 26
Labourers employed in labour not agricultural : 58
Other males, twenty years of age (except servants) : 45
Male servants, twenty years of age : 23
Male servants, under twenty years : 24
Female servants : 139
Flitt Hundred
Agriculture, occupiers employing labourers : 143
Agriculture, occupiers not employing labourers : 59
Agriculture, employed labourers : 1,466
Employed in manufacture or making manufacturing machinery : 22
Employed in retail trade or in handicraft as masters or workmen : 644
Capitalists, bankers, professional and other educated men : 51
Labourers employed in labour not agricultural : 179
Other males, twenty years of age (except servants) : 144
Male servants, twenty years of age : 89
Male servants, under twenty years : 83
Female servants : 285
Manshead Hundred
Agriculture, occupiers employing labourers : 264
Agriculture, occupiers not employing labourers : 82
Agriculture, employed labourers : 2,442
Employed in manufacture or making manufacturing machinery : 7
Employed in retail trade or in handicraft as masters or workmen : 1,380
Capitalists, bankers, professional and other educated men : 114
Labourers employed in labour not agricultural : 401
Other males, twenty years of age (except servants) : 202
Male servants, twenty years of age : 160
Male servants, under twenty years : 132
Female servants : 568
Redbornestoke Hundred
Agriculture, occupiers employing labourers : 190
Agriculture, occupiers not employing labourers : 51
Agriculture, employed labourers : 1,835
Employed in manufacture or making manufacturing machinery : 4
Employed in retail trade or in handicraft as masters or workmen : 668
Capitalists, bankers, professional and other educated men : 57
Labourers employed in labour not agricultural : 132
Other males, twenty years of age (except servants) : 134
Male servants, twenty years of age : 30
Male servants, under twenty years : 34
Female servants : 254
Stodden Hundred
Agriculture, occupiers employing labourers : 106
Agriculture, occupiers not employing labourers : 49
Agriculture, employed labourers : 790
Employed in manufacture or making manufacturing machinery : 1
Employed in retail trade or in handicraft as masters or workmen : 216
Capitalists, bankers, professional and other educated men : 22
Labourers employed in labour not agricultural : 31
Other males, twenty years of age (except servants) : 59
Male servants, twenty years of age : 28
Male servants, under twenty years : 19
Female servants : 109
Willey Hundred
Agriculture, occupiers employing labourers : 158
Agriculture, occupiers not employing labourers : 43
Agriculture, employed labourers : 1,256
Employed in manufacture or making manufacturing machinery : 1
Employed in retail trade or in handicraft as masters or workmen : 397
Capitalists, bankers, professional and other educated men : 44
Labourers employed in labour not agricultural : 58
Other males, twenty years of age (except servants) : 74
Male servants, twenty years of age : 47
Male servants, under twenty years : 46
Female servants : 236
Wixamtree Hundred
Agriculture, occupiers employing labourers : 97
Agriculture, occupiers not employing labourers : 21
Agriculture, employed labourers : 1,053
Employed in manufacture or making manufacturing machinery : 0
Employed in retail trade or in handicraft as masters or workmen : 233
Capitalists, bankers, professional and other educated men : 29
Labourers employed in labour not agricultural : 55
Other males, twenty years of age (except servants) : 68
Male servants, twenty years of age : 54
Male servants, under twenty years : 26
Female servants : 145
Bedford, Borough
Agriculture, occupiers employing labourers : 12
Agriculture, occupiers not employing labourers : 5
Agriculture, employed labourers : 137
Employed in manufacture or making manufacturing machinery : 2
Employed in retail trade or in handicraft as masters or workmen : 905
Capitalists, bankers, professional and other educated men : 147
Labourers employed in labour not agricultural : 287
Other males, twenty years of age (except servants) : 145
Male servants, twenty years of age : 37
Male servants, under twenty years : 31
Female servants : 435
TOTALS FOR BEDFORDSHIRE 1831 :
Agriculture, occupiers employing labourers : 1,330
Agriculture, occupiers not employing labourers : 474
Agriculture, employed labourers : 11,588
Employed in manufacture or making manufacturing machinery : 38
Employed in retail trade or in handicraft as masters or workmen : 5,502
Capitalists, bankers, professional and other educated men : 577
Labourers employed in labour not agricultural : 1,474
Other males, twenty years of age (except servants) : 1,037
Male servants, twenty years of age : 551
Male servants, under twenty years : 448
Female servants : 2,588
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