Households

Schedules were intended to be prepared by the head of each household. The 1841 census did not include relationship data so the head of a household can not be identified with certainty, but from 1851 the head of the household was assigned the relationship "Head". It might be assumed that from 1851 the number of households could be obtained from a count of the number of census entries with the relationship "Head". In some cases, the head of the household could be away from home at the time of the census and, very rarely, a single schedule included joint heads as in one particular case of heads of two schools sharing the same building. A more significant problem with this method of counting households is through not recording a relationship of "Head" to the residents of almshouses, which were independent households and usually treated as such.

Another measure of the number of households is the number of schedules with a habitation status of "Inhabited". Where two or, rarely, more households shared a building, the first schedule has a building count of "1" and subsequent schedules a building count of "0". This enables a count of both households and the number of households sharing a building to be determined. Significant problems arise with this method also through the inconsistent recording of lodgers and boarders through occasionally assigning lodgers and boarders a separate schedule..

Households1841185118611871188118911901
Total inhabited schedules97798710611136113612031457
Heads of household095810151014102111821337
Lodgers1021313627017819523
Boarders0111784110137298
Shared24227427381216

1. Excluding lodger's family.

2. This is a count of schedules with building count of 0. The number of households sharing accommodation is approximately twice the number given in this table.

Households included significant numbers of lodgers and boarders, the distinction presumably being that a boarder was provided with food as well as lodging, but a lodger, sometimes accompanied by a family was not. There appears to have been no clear criteria to decide that a lodging family should or should not be assigned to a separate schedule. Even boarders were sometimes assigned a separate schedule. The lack of clear trends in these numbers is probably due to the guidance given to enumerators, or their interpretation of that guidance.

Commercial Lodging and Boarding Houses, Inns and Hotels were not specifically distinguished from family houses. It seems likely that a majority of lodgers and boarders were in commercial establishments, but detailed study of the context of each entry will be necessary for confirmation.

Buildings

From 1841 buildings were categorised as "Inhabited" or "Uninhabited" or "Building". It was not until 1901 that the additional category of "Uninhabited but in use" was introduced. Prior to 1901, it was impossible to decide whether an uninhabited building was an empty dwelling or a warehouse, workshop or lockup shop with nobody living on the premises, unless a clarifying comment had been entered into the enumerators book. In 1861 the census returns for West Hill included schedule 127 with the comment "Stabling" and schedule 131 with the comment "Coal shed" and in 1881 the census returns for Bell Street included schedule 87a with the comment "China Shop", schedule 87b with the comment "Grocers Shop" and schedule 87c with the comment "Clothes Shop". Such comments would usually only be entered if the building had its own separate schedule. This was rarely the case; uninhabited buildings were usually reported on the schedule of the preceding inhabited building. Click this link for a full list of uninhabited buildings.

The number of buildings in each habitation status is given in the following table and graph

Habitation status1841185118611871188118911901
all1034101410651086111412851657
inhabited93596010191063105512041441
uninhabited955437235471140
uninhabited but occupied00003040
building409021036

The number of buildings changed little between 1841 and 1881, but then there was a building boom, the total number of buildings increasing by over 40% between 1881 and 1901. If the average time to build a house was 12 months then the number built over a ten year period between censuses would be ten times the number of houses shown as being built in each census. The Henley Cottage Improvement Association was responsible for rebuilding in the West Hill/Gravel Hill area, but the increase was mainly due to new build, particularly in the following areas:

AreaNumber
North of Market Place
  Kings Road59
  York Road24
  Clarence Road20
Off Greys Road
  Albert Road59
South of Friday Street
  Queen Street48
  Imperial Parade10
  Caxton Terrace10
West of Reading Road
  Norman Avenue16
  Hamilton Avenue12
  Vicarage Road18
  St Marks Road26
  St Andrews Road23
  The Gardens29
  Western Road5
East of Reading Road
  Park Road44
  Falcon Terrace15
  Manitoba Terrace19
  Montreal Terrace23
  Niagara Terrace11
  Toronto Terrace24

The number of new builds exceeds the increase in the number of households, partly accounted for by the 35 houses being built and not yet occupied, a reduction of 66 in the number of households sharing, and a small reduction in inhabited buildings in the town centre


Number of buildings in each habitation status for each street

The following tables give the number of buildings in each habitation status for each street and census year

Total number of Buildings

Street18411851186118711881189119011911
Adwell Place34
Adwell Square181911
Albert Road565858
Albion Place7755
Ann Messenger's Almshouses44
Assendon0222026
Assendon Cross262
Assendon Road32
Back Road7
Badgemore76610141336
Badgemore Lane12315
Barlows Yard1416191921171211
Bell Lane20377443
Bell Pits15171098
Bell Street8888918787758383
Belle Vue Road2
Berkshire Road5
Bishop Longland's Almshouses1212
Boston Road17
Canadian Terrace6
Caxton Terrace810
Chalk Cliffs2
Champion Court7
Chester Terrace10
Church Lane22114
Church Street252826242526
Church Yard Almshouses282626261226
Clarence Road2020
Cold Harbour5357
Cromwell Road2
Duke Street4641404237333237
Fair Mile3132393516194447
Falcon Terrace15
Farm Road10
Fawley Court5122331
Frewin's Cottages5
Frewin's Row6
Friday Street7267697370556362
Friday Street Court56
Gladstone Terrace11
Goff's Yard31354
Grange Road12
Gravel Hill5653536361605957
Grays Hill61
Grays Lane56
Greys Hill80303939709880
Greys Lane3650898628
Greys Road72469129
Grove Road12
Hamilton Avenue81214
Harpsden Lane144
Harpsden Road59
Hart Street3942474443423941
Havelock Terrace99
Henley Park4553759
High Street24
Hocket Court9
Hodge's Row4
Hog Lane1210161413
Hop Gardens120191616
Horse and Groom Yard9
Humphrey Newbury's Almshouses1010
Imperial Parade10
Kings Road5958
Lambridge2487432
Lower Assendon301613
Manitoba Terrace19
Market Place5337535352404761
Marlow Road4753563
Marmion Road22
Middle Assendon813
Mill Lane311121
Montreal Terrace23
Mount Field Villas44
New Street8376567855866666
New Street Yard14
New Town24333613421
Newtown Gardens1217
Niagara Road19
Niagara Terrace11
Nicholas Farm113
Norman Avenue41214
Northfield End11389786856667578
Oxford Place66
Oxford Villas814
Pack and Prime Lane211284
Paradise Road2451174119
Park Road174456
Phyllis Court11132
Pig Market154
Prospect Place49444
Prospect Terrace117
Queen Street324844
Rawlins Court6
Reading Road6222358336683155
Red Cross Yard554
Reform Court1313
River Side8
River Terrace812798
Rupert Place4
Short Hill935
Smith's Row131312
South Hill Gardens326740
South Place4
Southfield End24
Spring Gardens94
Spring Villas1
St Andrews Road32331
St Marks Estate2
St Marks Road2671
Stanley Terrace77
Station Road2324
Strange's Row1515
Thames Side2131175
The Gardens29
The Hockett73
The Wharf6
Toronto Terrace24
Upper Assendon1
Vicarage Road1830
Waterside1217512102426
West Hill4722103749699
West Street12811943261
Western Road522
Wharf Lane7
Windmill Lane43
Workhouse1111111
York Road2424

Number of Buildings that are Occupied/Inhabited

Street18411851186118711881189119011911
Adwell Place34
Adwell Square181911
Albert Road545656
Albion Place6645
Ann Messenger's Almshouses43
Assendon0222022
Assendon Cross232
Assendon Road28
Back Road7
Badgemore7659141232
Badgemore Lane12215
Barlows Yard121618192117125
Bell Lane20374431
Bell Pits14161098
Bell Street8680878481727261
Belle Vue Road1
Berkshire Road3
Bishop Longland's Almshouses1111
Boston Road16
Canadian Terrace6
Caxton Terrace610
Chalk Cliffs2
Champion Court7
Chester Terrace8
Church Lane22113
Church Street242826242422
Church Yard Almshouses28252624923
Clarence Road1919
Cold Harbour5346
Cromwell Road2
Duke Street3839404036312723
Fair Mile2430303515143939
Falcon Terrace3
Farm Road9
Fawley Court5122331
Frewin's Cottages5
Frewin's Row6
Friday Street6465677367535853
Friday Street Court55
Gladstone Terrace11
Goff's Yard31154
Grange Road12
Gravel Hill5049536260555649
Grays Hill61
Grays Lane56
Greys Hill78293938669174
Greys Lane3649888328
Greys Road62356110
Grove Road12
Hamilton Avenue81113
Harpsden Lane134
Harpsden Road55
Hart Street3140464442403230
Havelock Terrace87
Henley Park4552759
High Street24
Hocket Court9
Hodge's Row4
Hog Lane1210161313
Hop Gardens120191616
Horse and Groom Yard7
Humphrey Newbury's Almshouses109
Imperial Parade4
Kings Road5657
Lambridge2487331
Lower Assendon301613
Manitoba Terrace18
Market Place4833525152384349
Marlow Road4653563
Marmion Road22
Middle Assendon710
Mill Lane31111
Montreal Terrace21
Mount Field Villas44
New Street7569527554805354
New Street Yard12
New Town24333513421
Newtown Gardens613
Niagara Road19
Niagara Terrace10
Nicholas Farm113
Norman Avenue4911
Northfield End10084746549597165
Oxford Place66
Oxford Villas610
Pack and Prime Lane211262
Paradise Road245116488
Park Road153556
Phyllis Court11131
Pig Market144
Prospect Place27443
Prospect Terrace107
Queen Street274231
Rawlins Court5
Reading Road6222156336668127
Red Cross Yard554
Reform Court1012
River Side8
River Terrace711564
Rupert Place3
Short Hill835
Smith's Row1313
South Hill Gardens326436
South Place4
Southfield End21
Spring Gardens94
Spring Villas1
St Andrews Road31427
St Marks Road2155
Stanley Terrace57
Station Road2313
Strange's Row1515
Thames Side2131171
The Gardens17
The Hockett63
The Wharf5
Toronto Terrace24
Upper Assendon1
Vicarage Road1524
Waterside1117511101414
West Hill4722103739391
West Street10910843261
Western Road513
Wharf Lane6
Windmill Lane31
Workhouse1111111
York Road2424

Number of Buildings that are Unoccupied

Street18411851186118711881189119011911
Albert Road212
Albion Place111
Assendon4
Assendon Cross3
Assendon Road4
Badgemore111
Badgemore Lane1
Barlows Yard216
Bell Lane312
Bell Pits11
Bell Street28433344
Belle Vue Road1
Berkshire Road2
Bishop Longland's Almshouses11
Boston Road1
Caxton Terrace2
Church Lane1
Church Street113
Church Yard Almshouses1233
Clarence Road11
Cold Harbour11
Duke Street8221222
Fair Mile3211338
Falcon Terrace1
Friday Street8223222
Friday Street Court1
Goff's Yard2
Gravel Hill641531
Greys Hill211454
Greys Lane113
Greys Road11136
Hamilton Avenue1
Harpsden Lane1
Harpsden Road3
Hart Street8211264
Havelock Terrace12
Henley Park1
Hog Lane1
Horse and Groom Yard2
Humphrey Newbury's Almshouses1
Imperial Parade6
Kings Road31
Lambridge11
Manitoba Terrace1
Market Place5412231
Marlow Road1
Middle Assendon12
Mill Lane11
Montreal Terrace2
New Street874315910
New Street Yard2
New Town1
Newtown Gardens4
Norman Avenue22
Northfield End135436729
Oxford Villas24
Pack and Prime Lane21
Paradise Road131
Park Road25
Phyllis Court1
Pig Market1
Prospect Place221
Prospect Terrace1
Queen Street5412
Rawlins Court1
Reading Road221113
Reform Court31
River Terrace11234
Rupert Place1
Short Hill1
Smith's Row12
South Hill Gardens23
Southfield End3
St Andrews Road83
St Marks Road514
Stanley Terrace2
Station Road9
Thames Side2
The Hockett1
The Wharf1
Vicarage Road25
Waterside1146
West Hill0136
West Street1911
Western Road5
Wharf Lane1
Windmill Lane2

Number of Buildings that are Not Inhabited but in use

Street18411851186118711881189119011911
Albert Road1
Ann Messenger's Almshouses1
Badgemore1
Bell Street37
Chester Terrace2
Duke Street3
Fair Mile2
Greys Hill2
Hamilton Avenue1
Hart Street1
New Street4
Niagara Terrace1
Northfield End2
Queen Street2
South Hill Gardens1
St Andrews Road1
The Gardens1
Vicarage Road1
Waterside6

Number of Buildings that are Under Construction

Street18411851186118711881189119011911
Fair Mile482
Falcon Terrace11
Friday Street3
Gravel Hill1
Market Place1
New Street1
Newtown Gardens6
Norman Avenue1
Northfield End1
Pack and Prime Lane1
Park Road4
Reading Road4
South Hill Gardens1
St Marks Estate1
The Gardens11
Windmill Lane1

Changes for Groups of streets:

As developers built new houses, they chose attractive names for the developments that did not endure as street names, but were absorbed into a more recognised main street.To see how streets were developed, select one or more streets from the list. Pressing "SHIFT" with a click will select a block of streets. Pressing "CONTROL" with a click will add a single street to the selected streets. When selection is complete, click the "Extract data" button. This will present combined data for the selected group of streets.