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The Manchester Genealogist
Still Missing in Ashton under Lyne!
Introduction
When the work on re-checking the 1851 unfilmed census of Ashton under Lyne had been completed last year, I checked the number of persons shown in the Population Tables held at the National Archives against the number shown on the enumerated sheets and the microfilm for piece number HO 107/2233. These cover the districts of Ashton Town and Knott Lanes; whilst Hartshead and the Military Barracks, which are both within the parish of Ashton under Lyne, are shown in piece number HO 107/2238.
Results
| District |
|
From Population Tables |
From Enumerated Sheets |
| 1. Knott Lanes |
males |
2959 |
2957 |
| |
females |
3085 |
3090 |
| Total population |
6044 |
6047 (+3) |
| |
|
|
|
| 2. Ashton Town |
males |
14216 |
5976 |
| |
females |
15575 |
6778 |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
12754 (unfilmed) |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
From microfilm |
| |
males |
|
5960 |
| |
females |
|
6340 |
| |
|
|
|
| Total population |
29791 |
25054 (-4737) |
The above table shows that there is still a shortfall of 4,737 entries in the census returns in spite of over 96% of the entries in this piece number having been recovered.
Where are the missing entries, and what area do they cover?
I have searched through the boxes held at the National Archives in the hope of finding some long-lost folder or book containing the missing entries but to no avail. All the returns for Ashton are held in three boxes and are either in bound volumes if they have been filmed, or laminated loose leaves if they are unfilmed. I can only assume that they were so badly damaged that they were not considered worth retaining and have been destroyed or lost.
It is easier to establish which areas of Ashton under Lyne the missing returns covered. All the intact returns – either filmed or unfilmed – are in numerical sequence of enumeration district (ED) as follows:
| |
District |
ED Ref |
| 1. |
Knott Lanes |
1A to 1F |
| 2. |
Ashton Township (Portland Ward) |
1G to 1N |
| 3. |
Ashton Township (Market Ward) |
1O to 1U |
| 4. |
Ashton Township (filmed returns) |
1V to 1Z |
| |
|
and 1AA to 1JJ |
Enumeration districts 1V to 1AA were also in Market Ward and 1BB to 1JJ were in St Peter’s Ward, west of the town centre. A check of the 1861 returns for Ashton shows that another ward – St Michael’s – completed the picture. None of the EDs in 1851 were shown as being in St Michael’s Ward, so it must follow that that the missing ones are in this area.
I estimate that the following locations east of the town centre were on the missing returns:
| Bank Top House |
Grey Street |
| Bayley's New Road |
Hall Court |
| Bright Street |
Jackson's Houses |
| Church Street |
Mabholes |
| Cobden Street |
Old Hall |
| Conduit Street |
Park Street |
| Currier Lane |
Queen Street |
| Delamere Street |
Scotland Brow |
| Donnelly's Beerhouse |
Scotland Street |
| Eaton's Houses |
Stakes |
| England Street |
Stamford Street (part) |
| Flat's Fold |
Warrington Street |
| Fleet Street |
Whitelands |
| Grafton Street |
Whitelands Road |
| Granville Street |
Whitelands Street |
| Granville Terrace |
Wicker Gate |
Conclusions
If any member has an ancestor who was living in one of the above streets in 1851, then unfortunately they won’t find them on the 1851 census returns. If it is any consolation, I’m in the same boat and we all will have to rely on other sources to find those elusive people.
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Copyright © 2000-2022 Ray Hulley. All rights reserved.
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