Census of 1951 in Wickhamford

The United Kingdom Census of 1951 took place on 8th April.  The information from this census will not be available to researchers until January 2052.  The 1921 Census is available, but the information for that taken in 1931 was destroyed during the Second World War.  The National Register, undertaken in late 1939, provides population details and is of value because the planned Census of 1941 was not held due to the War.

This article gives the adult population of Wickhamford in 1951, based on the Electoral Register published on 15th March that year.  In the Census, there was a village population on 8th April of 405 people, living in 116 households.  The Electoral Register recorded 274 people in Wickhamford as eligible to vote.  The majority of the residents not listed would have been people under the age of 21.  Therefore, the names and addresses of two-thirds of the residents can be found in 1951.  The number of addresses in Wickhamford appearing on the Electoral Register is 115, only one different from those on the Census returns.

Occupation and ages are not recorded in the Electoral Register, so using this to provide information on residents in the Census year, is of limited value.  However, with over 25 years to wait for the Census returns to made available, the information given here is of some use to researchers.

Of those on the list, four were liable to be called as Jurors – John Mills, Donald Arthurs, Edmund Cooke and Henry L. Tigwell.   Two men were noted as being in the Services when the Register was compiled – Anthony Collett and Henry T. Tigwell.  Two residents could not vote until after 1st October 1951, probably due to being under voting age in March – Jean Figgitt and Phillip Brewer.

The numbering of properties, and sometimes their names, have changed considerably since 1951 and the table below shows those given on the Electoral Register and the present-day addresses of the properties.