William Leal's Walk

With the release of the 1921 Census records in January 2022, I thought it might be interesting to see how much Bramley has changed since 1911, which are the most up-to-date records we can search publicly.

 

Unlike the 2021 Census which we filled out this year – mainly online – in 1911 it was the task of the Census Enumerator to collect the required information and send it back to the government. The Enumerator in 1911 was William Leal. Scottish-born Leal was the school master at Bramley and had been living in the village for over three decades. The Hampshire Observer refers to Leal as being highly respected in the local community, so who better to walk the length of the village and collect the information from each household, compile it and send it back to the government?

 

I’ve transcribed Leal’s journey around the village in the table below; the two columns on the far right were not part of the original record, but I’ve added them to provide context about where the addresses might be in modern Bramley. Some were easy to ascertain, others not without delving into more research!

 

Leal’s journey started at Latchmere Green in the far north-west of the Parish of Bramley, before travelling to Bramley Corner, a cottage on the Beaurepaire Estate (most of which is located in the civil parish of Sherborne St. John and therefore not in Leal’s remit), following Silchester Road until it became the Street. This was the village centre in 1911, centred around the Post Office (now Lime Tree Cottage), the Church and School, near the modern-day junction of Vyne Road/Silchester Road,  including two cottages up towards the Bramley Frith Wood.

An extract from an Ordnance Survey Map from 1894, showing the old 'village centre.' Vyne Road is in the bottom-left corner, and Cufaude Lane is bottom-middle. Copyright National Library of Scotland. 

Leal continued his journey along the Street, visiting Street Farm, Middle Farm, Church Farm and Stocks Farm and a handful of private residences, before enumerating the Six Bells (now the Bramley Inn) and the railway station, an intermediate stop on the Berks-Hants line between Reading and Basingstoke, which had opened on 01 May 1895 after much local campaigning. The Six Bells had previously been a long-standing inn beside the Church, but was re-sited in 1896 to its current location facing Coopers Lane, presumably to appeal to more traffic and trade from the new railway station. The ‘old’ Six Bells then became a private house, known as Old Bells.

 

Leal doubled back from the station to continue his journey to modern-day Minchens Lane. He crossed the railway using Oliver’s Lane overbridge and enumerated Barefoot, Holly Cross Farm and Oliver’s Farm and some outlying farm cottages, before enumerating Folly Lane and Bramley Green at the Sherfield end of the parish. He then headed back across the parish westwardly, enumerating the Three Pigeons public house at Bramley Green (now a private house), Bullsdown Farm, and Lane End, which was the location of Bramley’s third public house, the Carrier’s Arms. Leal crossed the railway back to the western side at Elliott’s Crossing, which is no longer a right-of-way across the railway.

 

Finally, Leal visited Jones’ Farm, which is now Applewood Care Home, and followed the path of modern-day Coopers Lane, before finishing his enumeration with a couple of houses on Sherfield Road between Bramley station and Bramley Green that he had not previously enumerated (and therefore presumably crossing back over to the Bramley Green side of the railway line) and ending his enumeration with a cottage near the Bow Brook on Locksbridge Lane, which we know now as Cufaude Lane.

 

Leal also  had the odd task of enumerating himself! Here's his signature from the 1911 Census. Crown Copyright. 

In all, Leal visited 96 households, enumerating 417 persons (210 male, 207 female), which, compared to its 2011 population of 4,233, means that Bramley is ten times more populous now as it was in 1911. Leal’s path across the village also shows the change in focus for the village, which is now more centred on the station, with the Bramley Green side of the railway line now being more populous. Leal died in 1913 and is buried in St James' churchyard in the shadow of his workplace, the old school house, beside his father. Their memorials can still be seen today. 

 

If you were to follow William Leal’s journey around the village now, you will, happily, find most of the buildings he visited intact. Leal died two years after the census was taken, and is buried in the churchyard, right beside the school of which he was master. I wonder what he’d make of Bramley today? 

Number	Address	Kind of Building	Name of Occupier	Notes	Modern Address
1	Latchmere Green Farm	Farm House	Mr Baker		Latchmere Green Farm, Latchmere Green, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5EJ
	Latchmere Green Farm	Group of Farm Buildings			Latchmere Green Farm, Latchmere Green, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5EJ
2	Latchmere Green, Bramley	Private House	Mr Gibbons		Latchmere Green
3	Latchmere Green, Bramley	Private House	Mr Wheeler		Latchmere Green
4	Latchmere Green, Bramley	Private House	Mr Ham		Latchmere Green
	Latchmere Green, Bramley	Carpenter's Shop			Latchmere Green
5	Latchmere Green, Bramley	Farm House	Mr Mulford		Latchmere Green
	Latchmere Green, Bramley	Group of Farm Buildings			Latchmere Green
6	The Elms, Bramley	Private House	Mr Butler		Bramley Corner House, Bramley Corner, Tadley, RG26 5DJ
	The Elms, Bramley	Stabling			Bramley Corner House, Bramley Corner, Tadley, RG26 5DJ
7	Bramley Corner, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Herridge		Bramley Corner
8	Bramley Corner, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Fell		Bramley Corner
9	Bramley Corner, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Miller		Bramley Corner
10	Bramley Corner, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Smith		Bramley Corner
11	Bramley Corner, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Thatcher		Bramley Corner
12	Bramley Corner, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Hansell		Bramley Corner
13	Bramley Corner, Basingstoke	Private House	Miss Frewin		Bramley Corner
14	Beaurepaire Park, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Cooper	Contents of Enumeration District mentions that this is wooden.	Beaurepaire Park, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5EH
15	Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Oliver		Silchester Road towards Bramley Corner
16	Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mrs Bunting	Reverse of census schedule as address as 'The Laundry', Bramley.	Silchester Road towards Bramley Corner
	Bramley, Basingstoke	Private Laundry			Silchester Road towards Bramley Corner
17	Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Leach		Silchester Road towards Bramley Corner
18	Slate Cottages, Bramley	Private House	Mr Spencer		Silchester Road towards Bramley Corner
19	Slate Cottages, Bramley	Private House	Mr Hopcraft		Silchester Road towards Bramley Corner
20	Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Kent		Silchester Road towards Bramley Corner
21	Bramley St, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Ricketts		Silchester Road towards Bramley Corner
22	Bramley St, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Jutsun (Lodger to Mr Ricketts)		Silchester Road towards Bramley Corner
	Bramley St, Basingstoke	The Barn, used as a Rifle Range			Silchester Road towards Bramley Corner
23	Bramley St, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Greenaway		Near The Manor House?
	Bramley St, Basingstoke	Blacksmith's Shop		Contemporary maps show the 'Smithy' to be on the E side of the current Vyne Road, south of Exon House. Note that above OS map extract shows the Post Office and Smithy on the 'wrong' side of The Street.	Near The Manor House?
24	Bramley St, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Snell		Near The Manor House?
25	Bramley St, Basingstoke	Private House	Mrs Lawrence		Near The Manor House?
26	Bramley St, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Lovegrove		Near The Manor House?
	Bramley St, Basingstoke	Stabling			Near The Manor House?
27	Post Office, Bramley	Private House	Mr Lawrence	Junction to Vyne Road was reconfigured since 1911. Previously, The Street continued southwards to become the Vyne Road, and Silchester Road met the Street at a T-junction just to the south of present Lime Tree Cottage (similar to present location of the access to Tideswell House. Note that above OS map extract shows the Post Office and Smithy on the 'wrong' side of The Street.	Exon House, Vyne Road, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5DW
28	Bramley St, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Bartlett
29	The Rectory, Basingstoke	Private House	(Rev). T. H. Belcher	To the North side of the Street, adjacent to the Church.	Grays House, adjacent to the Church
	The Rectory, Basingstoke	Stabling			Grays House, adjacent to the Church
30	Bramley St, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Symonds		E of the church?
31	Bramley St, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Flint		E of the church?
	Bramley Church
	Bramley School				The Old School, Silchester Road, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5DF
32	Bramley School	Private House	Mr Leal	Mr Leal was the School Master and Census Enumerator.	The Old School, Silchester Road, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5DF
33	Frith Cottages, Bramley	Private House	Mr Jones		Possibly located on what is now Bramley Footpath 6 (FP6) approx half way between School House and Bramley Bridleway 7 (BR7).
34	Frith Cottages, Bramley	Private House	Mrs Simpson		Possibly located on what is now Bramley Footpath 6 (FP6) approx half way between School House and Bramley Bridleway 7 (BR7).
	The Old Bells	Private House		Previously the Six Bells Public House before it was relocated to Bramley Crossing.	Old Bells, The Street, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5DD
35	Street Farm, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Admiral Digby		S side of The Street, RG26 5DE
	Street Farm, Bramley, Basingstoke	Stabling			S side of The Street, RG26 5DE
36	Bramley St, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Neville
	Old Cottage, Bramley	Private House			Old Cottage, The Street, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5DF
37	Bramley St, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Newman
38	Middle Farm, Bramley, Basingstoke	Farm House	Mr Illingworth		Middle Farm, The Street, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5DD
		Coachman's Cottage			Middle Farm, The Street, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5DD
39	Middle Farm Cottages, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr David Bulpitt		Middle Farm, The Street, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5DD
40	Middle Farm Cottages, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Prior		Middle Farm, The Street, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5DD
41	Station Road, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Chs Bulpitt		The Street
42	Station Road, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Isles		The Street
43	Station Road, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Daniel Bulpitt		The Street
	Bramley St Farm	Group of Farm Buildings		Looks as if the enumerator forgot to add them and then enumerated them all at once?
	Church Farm	Group of Farm Buildings		Looks as if the enumerator forgot to add them and then enumerated them all at once?	N side of The Street, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5DD
	Middle Farm	Group of Farm Buildings		Looks as if the enumerator forgot to add them and then enumerated them all at once?
44	Stocks, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr D. Bulpitt		Stocks Farm Cottages, The Street, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BP
45	Stocks, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr J. Bulpitt		Stocks Farm Cottages, The Street, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BP
46	Stocks Farm Cottage, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr C. Herridge		Stocks Farm Cottages, The Street, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BP
47	Stocks Farm Cottage, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr W. Curtis		Stocks Farm Cottages, The Street, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BP
48	Stocks Farm, Bramley, Basingstoke	Farm House	Mr Clift		Stocks Farm House, The Street, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BP
	Stocks Farm, Bramley, Basingstoke	Group of Farm Buildings			Stocks Farm House, The Street, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BP
49	Bramley Cottage, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Miss Spencer		Stocks Farm House, The Street, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BP
50	The Laurels, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Ryder		The Laurels, The Street, Bramley, Tadley RG26 5BS
51	The Six Bells, Bramley, Basingstoke	Public House	Mr Ham		Bramley Inn, The Street, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BS
	The Six Bells, Bramley, Basingstoke	Stabling			Bramley Inn, The Street, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BS
52	Railway Station, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Stevens		Bramley Station, The Street, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BX
53	Minchins, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Hulford		Minchens, Minchens Lane, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BH
54	Minchins, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Cooper		Minchens, Minchens Lane, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BH
55	Hyde House, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Belcher
	Hyde House, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House
56	Barefoot's Farm, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Pitman		Barefoot House, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BE
57	Barefoot's Farm, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Drewitt		Barefoot House, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BE
	Barefoots, Bramley, Basingstoke	Group of Farm Buildings			Barefoot House, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BE
58	Holly Cross Farm, Bramley, Basingstoke	Farm House	Mr Clift		Holly Cross Farmhouse, Bramley Lane, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5AH
	Holly Cross, Bramley, Basingstoke	Group of Farm Buildings			Holly Cross is the crossroads at Oliver's Lane where it meets Stratfield Saye Road and Bramley Lane.
59	Holly Cross, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Lewington		Holly Cross is the crossroads at Oliver's Lane where it meets Stratfield Saye Road and Bramley Lane.
60	Holly Cross, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Kirby		Holly Cross is the crossroads at Oliver's Lane where it meets Stratfield Saye Road and Bramley Lane.
61	Holly Cross, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Tillman		Holly Cross is the crossroads at Oliver's Lane where it meets Stratfield Saye Road and Bramley Lane.
	Holly Cross, Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House			Holly Cross is the crossroads at Oliver's Lane where it meets Stratfield Saye Road and Bramley Lane.
62	Oliver's Farm, Bramley, Basingstoke	Farm House	Mr Holloway		Olivers Farm, Olivers Lane, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BD
	Oliver's Farm, Bramley, Basingstoke	Group of Farm Buildings			Olivers Farm, Olivers Lane, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BD
63	Folly Farm, Bramley, Basingstoke	Farm House	Mr Smith		Folly Farm, Folly Lane, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BD
	Folly Farm, Bramley, Basingstoke	Group of Farm Buildings			Folly Farm, Folly Lane, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BD
64	Lilly Mill, Sherfield, Basingstoke	Farm House	Mr Butler		Lilly Mill, Mill Lane, Sherfield-on-Loddon, Hook, RG27 0DJ
	Lilly Mill, Sherfield, Basingstoke	Group of Farm Buildings			Lilly Mill, Mill Lane, Sherfield-on-Loddon, Hook, RG27 0DJ
65	Rose Cottage, Bramley Green	Private House	Mr Barnet		Rose Cottage, Bramley Green, Tadley, RG26 5AJ
66	Adam's Cottages, Bramley Green	Private House	Mr Claridge		Adams Cottage
67	Adam's Cottages, Bramley Green	Private House	Mr Martin		In the vicinity of Rose Cottage and Oliver's Cottage, Bramley Green?
68	Adam's Cottages, Bramley Green	Private House	Miss S. Bulpit		In the vicinity of Rose Cottage and Oliver's Cottage, Bramley Green?
69	Green Farm, Bramley Green	Farm House	Mr Butler	Cover has College Farm but householder signed Green Farm.	Green Farm, Sherfield Road, Bramley Green, RG26 5BB
	College Farm, Bramley Green	Group of Farm Buildings			Green Farm, Sherfield Road, Bramley Green, RG26 5BB
70	Three Pigeons, Bramley Green	Public House	Mr Greetham		The Pigeons, Bramley Green, RG26 5AJ
	Three Pigeons, Bramley Green	Stabling			The Pigeons, Bramley Green, RG26 5AJ
	Bramley Green, Basingstoke	Methodist Chapel		https://www.mymethodisthistory.org.uk/chapels/hampshire/bramley-hampshire	The Pigeons, Bramley Green, RG26 5AJ
71	Bramley Green, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Ham		The Pigeons, Bramley Green, RG26 5AJ
72	Bramley Green, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Bulpitt		The Pigeons, Bramley Green, RG26 5AJ
73	Bullsdown Farm, Bramley Green	Farm House	Mr Jacob		Bullsdown Farm, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5AR
	Bullsdown Farm, Bramley Green	Group of Farm Buildings			Bullsdown Farm, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5AR
74	Bramley Green, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Crate		Lane End/Bramley Green area
75	Bramley Green, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Blunden		Lane End/Bramley Green area
76	Bramley Green, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Elliott		Lane End/Bramley Green area
77	Bramley Green, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Belcher		Lane End/Bramley Green area
78	Bramley Green, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Ham		Lane End/Bramley Green area
79	Bramley Green, Basingstoke	Private House	Miss Bartlett		Lane End/Bramley Green area
80	Bramley Green, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Frape		Lane End/Bramley Green area
81	Bramley Green, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Stanley		South side of Lane End
82	Beech Farm, Bramley Green, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Parsons		South side of Lane End
83	Bramley Green, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Gibbons		Near where Lane End meets the Cinder Track? The Laurels, Lane End, Bramley Green, RG26 5AP?
		Stabling			Near where Lane End meets the Cinder Track? The Laurels, Lane End, Bramley Green, RG26 5AP?
84	The Carriers Arms, Bramley Green	Public House	Mr Nicholson		Near where Lane End meets the Cinder Track? The Laurels, Lane End, Bramley Green, RG26 5AP?
	The Carriers Arms, Bramley Green	Stabling			Near where Lane End meets the Cinder Track? The Laurels, Lane End, Bramley Green, RG26 5AP?
85	Beau Cottage, Bramley	Private House	Mr Jibb		Unsure as to whether this refers to the E or W side of the railway line. Absence of 'Green' in the address might suggest the latter.
86	Elliott's Crossing, Bramley	Private House	Mr Hunt		Elliott's Crossing is at the end of Lane End and used to meet what is now Coopers Lane. Unsure as to whether this refers to the E or W side of the railway line. Absence of 'Green' in the address might suggest the latter.
87	Jones' Farm, Bramley	Grocery and Farm House	Mr Brown		Now Applewood Care Home in Coopers Lane?
	Jones' Farm, Bramley	Group of Farm Buildings			Coopers Lane area?
88	Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Munday		Coopers Lane area?
89	Bramley, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Crook		Coopers Lane area?
90	Jones' Farm, Bramley	Private House	Mr W. Munday		Coopers Lane area?
91	Jones' Farm, Bramley	Private House	Mr Brooker		Coopers Lane area?
92	Olive House, Bramley	Private House	Mr Porter	Mr Porter was the Station Master.	Christmas Cottage, Coopers Lane, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BZ
	The Nut Shell, Bramley	Private House			The Nutshell, Coopers Lane, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5BZ
93	Near Bramley Station, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Bartlett		Approximate location of Byeways/Tudor Cottage, Bramley Lane, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5AA
94	Near Bramley Station, Basingstoke	Private House	Mr Belcher		Approximate location of Byeways/Tudor Cottage, Bramley Lane, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5AA
95	Waverley Cottage, Bramley	Private House	Mr Jibb	Opposite Centenary Fields.	Waverley Cottage, Sherfield Road, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5AG
96	Dolls Green	Private House	Mr Willis	Now Dollis Green bungalows, Sherfield Road.	Now site of Dollis Green bungalows, Sherfield Road.
97	Locksbridge Lane	Private House	Mr Dennis	Now known as Cufaude Lane. Possibly a cottage on the E side of the lane just north of the crossing with Bow Brook?	Now site of Bridge Cottage, Cufaude Lane, Bramley, Tadley, RG26 5DL