1891 – Farm Bailiffs and Game Keepers

June 4, 2009, Tim Sunter, 1891, Ada Keziah Meredith (Hill), Edward Meredith, Edward Meredith (1876), , 2

1891.  Jack the ripper claims his last victim.  Prime Minister Salisbury rules a country at war with the Boers.  Agatha Christie is born.  But more important events are at work.  On 5th April the sixth full British Census takes place.  In the small Staffordshire village of Kinver farm bailiffs and game keepers mind the land – and romance is in the making. Living in Compton Road Kinver is the Meredith family.  Follow the road up, past the historic rock houses and take the second left to enter the road leading to Greyfields, a large local farm.  This is the home of the Hill family.

In Compton Road lives 14 years old Edward Meredith.  At Greyfields lives the similarly aged Ada Hill.  These two youngsters are destined to marry (1902) and give birth to Freda Meredith.

The head of the Meredith family, Joseph, is gamekeeper.  He looks after an area of countryside land and makes sure…  

“…there is  there is enough game for shooting, or fish for angling, and who actively manages areas of woodland, moorland, waterway or farmland for the benefit of game birds, deer, fish and wildlife in general.Typically, a gamekeeper is employed by a landowner, and often in the UK by a country estate, to prevent poaching, to rear and release game birds such as pheasants and grouse, to control predators such as foxes, to manage habitats to suit game, and to monitor the health of the game.” ( <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamekeeper> )

Ada’s dad, Alfred is the farm bailiff at Greyfields.  The farm bailiff  is…

” …a man who policed the land belonging to another. Watching out for poachers etc. Usually employed by Gentlemen Landowners i.e owners who employed others to farm the land whilst they partook of other occupations or pastimes.”  <http://genforum.genealogy.com/englandcountry/messages/126078.html> 

“He is responsible to the farmer for the smooth running of the farm and the management of the farm workers.

The employment is only met with of course on farms with large acreages where its workers live in accommodation provided by the farmer as part of their remuneration.

The Bailiff would also have the responsibility of the employee’s wages and have his own office usually within his own accommodation. This type of farm would have been a community by itself and more or less, completely self-contained.”  <http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/Bristol_and_Somerset/2003-06/1056121263>

 The Census Entries

 

1891 – Compton Road, Kinver

 

Joseph Meredith, Head, M, 51, Game Keeper, Kinver Staffs

Ann Meredith, Wife, M, 50, Kinver Staffs

Joseph Meredith, Son, 21, Agricultural Labourer, Kinver Staffs

Annie Meredith, Daughter, s, 20, Kingswinford

Caroline Meredith, Daughter, s, 17, Domestic Servant General, Kingswinford

Edward Meredith, Son,s,14, Kingswinford

 

1891 Census – Kinver, Greyfields

 

Alfred Hill, Head, M, 40, Farm Bailiff, Kinver Staffordshire

Alice Hill, Wife, M 35, Farm Bailiff, Stratford on Avon

Ada K Hill Daughter, s, 14, Farm Bailiff, Pedmore, Worcestershire

Alice M Hill, Daughter, 12, Farm Bailiff, Pedmore, Worcestershire

Alfred Hill, Son ,7, Kinver Stafford

Agnes Hill, Daughter, 7 Saltley Warwickshire

Frank F Hill, Son, 5, Kinver Staffordshire

Lucy Hill, Daughter, 2, Kinver Staffordshire

Henry E Hill, Son 1, Kinver Staffordshire

‹ Joseph Meredith born 1840 Map: Meredith and Hill movements 1841-1911 ›