1860to1870

Between 1840 & 1870 - By 1870 an additional cottage ( Church Cottages) was added to the two shown on the Tithe map. They are “now or late in the several occupations of Joseph Smith Junior Jeremiah Murble and John Dolt”. [S406]

1860 - Kelly's Directory of Hertfordshire for this year gives quite a lot of information about Leverstock Green. The entries are generally under the main entry for Abbots Langley, although one or two individual entries are made under various commercial headings, but not included in the Abbots Langley entry.

It tells us that there were four public houses: The Leather Bottle, whose proprietor was W. Wingrave. He was also listed as being the village butcher. Did you go to the pub to buy your meat I wonder?; The Masons Arms. proprietor Jason Dell; The Red Lion, proprietor William Ward, and The Rose and Crown, proprietor Henry Seabrook. In addition several others were listed as beer retailers: William Cormack, George Dell, Edward Rawson and Thomas Hosier.

The principal residents of Leverstock Green were considered to be the Rev. Robert Helme. M.A. ( Vicar of Leverstock Green ), Mrs. Key, who lived at Chambersbury House, and the Rev. Thomas Orchard, the Baptist minister.

There were two brick and tile makers listed. ( By this I assume they mean proprietors of firms making bricks and tiles, as there were presumably many more labourers in the industry.) These were D. Norris and son of Leverstock Green, and J. Pratt of Benet's End ( yes, this is how the directory spelt it! )

There was a National School for both boys and girls, run by Miss Helen Purvis.

There was a post office, with John Child as the receiver. Letters arrived from Hemel Hempstead at 8 a.m. and were dispatched at 6.15.p.m. As I understand it you would collect your mail in person from the receiver rather than having it delivered to the door. John Child was also listed as being a wheelwright.

The village smithy was Thomas Pointer, who presumably lived and worked in what is now called Blacksmiths Row.Another useful member of the community was Stephen Cook, the boot and shoe maker ( he probably did the mending too!)

Several farmers were listed: John George of Coxpond Farm; William Smith of North End Farm; Joseph Smith of Leverstock Green farm, and Thomas Kingham. Thomas Cooper was listed as being a hay dealer.

other piece of information relating to life in Leverstock Green given in the Kelly's Directory, was that every May 1st there was a Pleasure Fair at Abbots Langley, which presumably the inhabitants of Leverstock Green would attend if they were able. [ Kel.Dir.]

1861 - The parish of Leverstock Green had a population of 1,247. [Kel Dir, 1870]

1861 - 1871 Robert Helme ( Mashiter ), was installed as Vicar of Holy Trinity. [ S2 ]

1861 Census – Full analysis still to be done, but at a quick glance at the returns showed two cottages at Bennetts End as Day Schools – presumably these were Plait Schools.

October 18th 1864 - There were very few children attending the village school that day, as according to the school log, they were too busy gathering acorns for the local farmers to attend school. [ S50, 26/4/85 ]

1865 – Septimus Radford is known to be coachman to Rev Robert Helme, and his son Harry was born. Mrs Radford worked as Church cleaner for several years from 1865 receiving an annual slalry of £3 10/-. After the Radford’s departure, the cleaner(s) who took over from her got a considerably smaller remuneration. The Radfords moved from the parish with the Rev Helme on his departure, and Septimus was stillworking for him in Hurstpierpoint, Sussex in 1881. As no Radford’s were to be found in the 1861 census, nor in the burial records for the parish, I am assuming that Septimus was already the Rev Helme’s coachman when he moved to Leverstock Green in 1861 (but after the census, when Rev Frampton was still incumbent. [Information from S Radford’s Gt.Gt Granddaughter, S]

June 25th 1865 - The school log described how some children had permission to go home half an hour early so that they could take their lunch to their fathers haymaking in the fields.[ S50,26/4/85 ]

27th May 1866:

Jane Caves : Died 27.5.1866 aged 18 years. Lived Leverstock Green. Straw Plaiter.

Source:

Herts Advertiser page 3, col.4

Publication date:

02/06/1866

Subjects:

Obituaries

Places:

Leverstock Green

Personal names:

Jane Caves

[HALS: Can be downloaded after running a search under the HERTFORDSHIRE NAMES ON LINE. http://www.hertsdirect.org/libsleisure/heritage1/HALS/checked 8th June 2010]

May 1867 - Robert Prudence of North Mymms was apprenticed to John Childs, wheelwright of Leverstock Green (with bond), This was arranged by Trustees of the North Mymms Parish Charities – HALS ref. DP69/25/13 [A2A]

11th March 1868 - Joseph Smith, the tenant farmer at Leverstock Green Farm was given notice to quit. The letter he received read as follows:

" To Mr. Joseph Smith of Leverstock Green Farm Abbots Langley Herts.

I the undersigned Christopher Tower of Huntsmore Park in the County of Buckingham Esquire Do hereby give you Notice to Quit and deliver up to me on the 29th day of September next or at the expiration of the current year of your tenancy the peacable and quiet possession of All that Farm with the lands and buildings thereunto belonging called Leverstock Green Farm situate in the Parishes of Abbots Langley and St. Michael St. Albans or one of them in the County of Hertford and all other the premises which you lately held of Christopher Thomas Tower Esquire deceased and which you now hold of me as tenant from year to year. Dated this 11th day of March 1868

Christopher Tower "

[HALS 80785]

28th April 1868 - The following schedule concerning Leverstock Green farm was quoted in various legal documents concerning the farm:

"..............The Schedule contains (inter alia) in the County of Hertford

Leverstock Green Farm in the Parishes of Abbots Langley and St. Michael St. Albans occupied by Mr. Joseph Smith.

The whole of the Foregoing Farm is Copyhold with the exception of 974 which is freehold.

Lot 2 is the land held of Gorhambury.........."

[HALS D/ELs B900]

21st October 1868 - John Heabben and Joseph Orchard were admitted as Trustees of John Orchard deceased . Upon the instructions of his heir Rose Hannah Orchard, the copyhold for the cottages (Church Cottages) was sold for £250 to Frederick Gray of the New Drop St. Albans. “All that messuage cottage or tenement with the orchard and garden thereto belonging situate and being in Leverstock Green which said three cottages now or are late in the occupation of Joseph Smith Junior Jeremiah Muckle and John Dolt. The sale also included all outhouseses etc. [S406]

27th May 1869 Frederick Gray was formerly admitted as copyhold tenant (Church Cottages) of the Lord of the Manor of Gorehambury Westwick & Pre for a yearly rent of 1/6 plus a heriot when required ( a sort of death duty). [S406]

18th February 1870 – Frederick Gray of the New Drop in St. Albans baught the freehold of the then three cottages on the common ( Church Cottages) for payment of £75 to the Earl of Verulam with the consent of Jacob Earl of Radnor and Frances Laybourne Popham who were interested parties. The copyhold had previously been vested in John Orchard, and was at this time under the auspices of the trustees of his estate namely John Steabban and Joseph Orchard. [S406]

1870 - The Kellys Directory for Hertfordshire this year gives Leverstock Green its own entry: the village had gone up in the world! This is was it had to say about the village:

Leverstock Green is a consolidated chapelry and ecclesiastical district formed from the three parishes of St. Michael's. Abbots Langley and Hemel Hempstead, 2 and a half miles east from the latter town, and 4 and a half from St. Albans, in Dacorum hundred, St. Albans County Court district, St. Albans rural deanery and archdeaconry, and diocese of Rochester. The church of the Holy Trinity, erected in 1848, is a neat building of flint stone, consisting of nave, aisles, chancel and south porch, with a bell-turret at the west end containing 2 small bells: the interior is fitted with open benches. The register dates from the year 1848. The living, is a vicarage, yearly value £95, with residences, in the gift of the Earl of Verulam, and held by the Rev. Robert Helme, M.A. of Trinity College Cambridge. There is a National School erected in 1846, and enlarged in 1857; also a Baptist chapel. The Earl of Verulam, who is lord of the manor, and John Dickinson esq., are the principal landowners. The soil is chalk; subsoil chalk. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats and turnips. The population of the chapelry in 1861 was 1.247. The position of Parish Clerk is vacant.

POST OFFICE. - John Child, sub-postmaster. Letters from Hemel Hempstead arrive at 7.30. a.m.; dispatched at 6.20. p.m. Hemel Hempstead is the nearest money order office.

National School; Miss Helen Key Purvis, mistress. ( I wonder if she was related to the Mrs. Key who was resident at Chambersbury House.)

Private Residents:

Rev. Robert Helme, M.A. Vicarage

Mrs. Aston Key, Chambersbury.

Commercial:

Joseph Bailey, farmer, Westwick Row.

John Child, wheelwright. ( He was also sub-postmaster )

Stephen Cook, shoemaker

James Cooper, hay dealer

William Cormack, beer retailer

George Dell, beer retailer

James Dell, "Masons Arms"

William Dickinson, "Red Lion" ( any connection to John Dickinson of Apsley I wonder.)

Henry Finch, farmer Westwick Row

John George, farmer

John George, farmer, Bennets End Farm

Joel Howlett, farmer

Daniel Norris and Son, brick makers

Thomas Pointer, blacksmith

Caroline Pratt( Mrs.) brick and tile maker

John Saunders, farmer, Westwick Row

Henry Seabrook "Rose and Crown"

Joseph Smith, farmer

William Stow, wheelwright

William Wingrave, " Leather Bottle" and butcher.

If you compare this list with the information given in the 1860 directory, some changes can be seen. The "Red Lion" has changed licensee, as has the "Masons Arms", The latter being replaced by another member of the same family.. Thomas Cooper has either died or retired, his hay dealing business being taken over by his son James. William Smith, the farmer at North End Farm, is still there in 1878, so I conclude he either forgot to pay his subscription to Kellys, or his name was overlooked! John George, the farmer at Coxpond farm, had either enlarged his farm by adding that of Bennetts End Farm, or else, it was a son who had bought an adjoining farm. The postal times had changed slightly, but John Child still combined his office with that of wheelwright. However, the village would now appear to support two wheelwrights. Perhaps Mr. Child found he needed a partner. Sadly it would appear that J.Pratt, the brick and tilemaker from Bennetts End, had died, as the business was now run by his wife Caroline.[ Kel.Dir. ] Joel Howlett had presumably changed trades, as in 1851 he had been the owner of The Crabtree, as well as a grocer and straw plait dealer. [ S 52 ]

9th April 1870: - The Herts Advertiser (p4) published details of a sale by auction of bricksfields, dwelling houses and building land, in Leverstock Green. [Can be downloaded after running a search under the HERTFORDSHIRE NAMES ON LINE. http://www.hertsdirect.org/libsleisure/heritage1/HALS/ - checked 8th June 2010]