Revd. G.D. Melhuish - Notes on the History of Ashwater Parish and Church

Population.

What has the population of the Parish been at different periods? No certain answers can be given till recent times when the regular Census came in. According to Domesday Book (AD. 1087), Ashwater Manor had 40 Villani, 12 Bordars and 6 Slaves, whilst Henford Manor had 1 Villanus, 8 Bordars and 1 Slave—68 men all told. If you multiply by 5, you have 340, which would probably not be far from the total population—between 300 and 340 would be a good guess. Our Registers begin in A.D. 1559 but you can’t get anything certain from them as to the population. However, I have taken several periods of 20 years and have counted the Baptisms and Burials in those periods in order to compare them. The astonishing fact that you notice is that the Baptisms in 3 out of the 4 earlier periods far exceed the Burials, whilst in one period only they almost balance. As regards the last period, the rise of Nonconformity has to be taken into account. What took people away from the parish in those days, where did they go? Can someone suggest a cause?

Here are the figures:—

The Census Returns to which I alluded earlier are interesting. I give some of them—
1801—643;
1811—677;
1821—774;
1841—1046 (Highwater mark);
1861—803;
1871—849;
1881—849;
1891—756;
1911—679;
1921—659 (Civil Parish).

The Census Return for 1821 is in The Church Chest, signed by Samuel Balhatchet, Overseer. This gives the following details There Were 397 males and 377 females, 136 families and 133 inhabited houses. 2 houses were being built and 4 were uninhabited. In 1801 there were 115 inhabited houses and in 1811 there were 117. At present there are about 170 houses. There must have been much crowding in days gone by.