Genealogy Chat

William Niblett married Elizabeth Fisher in 1876 in Upton St Leonards in Gloucestershire. William was a bricklayer. In 1877 they had their first child Emma Lois in Uley Gloucestershire. Somewhere between Emma Lois's birth and the birth of Walter in 1878 they moved to the industrial town of Burton Upon trent in Staffordshire. Why did people move across the country at this tiime ?? From what I know William remained a bricklayer throughout his life and they had no family as far as I can tell in Burton. So why move from the country to a town so far away ?? Any ideas or theories anyone ?? Very puzzled Clare.xx

Basically for work! Staffs would have had lots of factory buildings going up, potteries and so on. It would have been steady well paid work for a brickie.

Simply because they were skint!! Loads of mine moved miles and miles up and down taking what jobs they could. In his lifetime my Gt Gt Gt Grandfather went from Norfolk, to Herts, to Yorks, to Lancs to London to Yorks again!! Thanks jacquie

Nothing changed really, they moved for work much as they do today. I know some of my relatives who were learning a trade, seemed to move round the country doing so, they called them journeymen!!

Sorry folks for not getting back to you sooner but the children woke up ...... Burton saw a great housing boom during the late part of the 19th century maybe they moved because of that. Personally for someone who grew up in Burton I'd have preferred to have stayed in the Country. Just a quick question would people have owned there own homes or would they have been rented ?? Cheers and thanks to everyone Clare.xx

Clare People moved to Burton for work in the brewing industry. The increase in the population of Burton was mostly connected with beer. Margaret (who's hubby is an ex Bass brewery drayman)

Almost certainly people would have rented their homes. It is only in the 20th C that people start to own their own homes. Brenda

Clare Most were rented Margaret

Ditto re renting.Country folk had no money and therefore no food, as little work there was paid very poorly, that's why most ended up in mills and so on in town. Poor sods either way. Jacquie

Thanks everyone for your help. Hi Margaret, My grandad used to turn the hops for Basses before WW2. Just out of interest if you lived in Kings Street would your parish church be St Pauls ?? Clare.xx

We moved to Burton in 1979 because houses were cheaper! Expect things were the same then as they were for us, you did what you had to to survive. Seemed like a good idea at the time! really liked the people, but moved back to Norwich as soon as we had two brass farthings! Often wonder what people will think in the future if they track our movements! Alice

Im near Norwich Alice. A Fine City, eh?

It could also have been that the brick clay ran out in the gloucestershire area, or they fell out with the neighbours. Probably as people have said they went after more lucrative work. My relatives certainly moved around, nearly all of them ending up in different counties to where they were born. Ann glos

I've often wondered why and how my Great Grandparents moved from Fulham, London to Herefordshire with 8 children. My Grandfather was born in May 1900 in Fulham but in 1901 census the family were all living in Herefordshire. Imagine making that move with all those children! They were back in London in 1906 for another son's birth, having had another child whilst in Herefordshire. G Grandad was a house painter and decorator and they had no family in Herefordshire so why did they do it? Sue

London and other big cities were unbelievably smoky when every factory had a chimney. Moving to the countryside was often recommended to people with health problems - fresh air was especially favoured for TB

Have emailed you with this answer as well Hi Claire Depends when the date is. King St is no where near St pauls. I would assume either All Saints in Branston Rd or Christchurch in Uxbridge St. All Saints was built later than Christchurch thats why I query the dates you are looking at Get back to me Margaret

Mine moved so I can't find them!