1851 CENSUS – RICHARD IS NO LONGER LIVING WITH HIS PARENTS
The Census of 1851 took place on the 30th March of that year. Richard’s parents, William & Sarah Shellaker, are recordeed as living in Tugby but on this Census, their son and only surving child, Richard is not with them. Interestly Richard’s father William, who has now reached the age of 63 years is no longer recorded as a Shoemaker (or Cordwainer) but is now recorded on the Census as a ‘A Farmer of 70 acres and employing one Labourer’. His birthplace is recorded as Lyndon in Rutland. His wife, Sarah, now 57 years old, is classified as a ‘Farmer’s Wife’ with a birthplace of Spittlegates in Lincolnshire.
In their home are also four other people – Two young men, Thomas Palmer and William Bird, are both recorded as ‘Agricultural Servants’ and as originating from Goadby, a village in Leicestershire, aged 16 and 18 years respectively. There are also two lodgers, a 22 years man from Tugby, William Laxton, an ‘Agricultural Labourer’ and his wife Elizabeth Laxton, aged 21 years who was born in Blaston, another local village.
Intriguingly in the ten years between 1841 and 1851 William’s profession and status has changed; from a Shoemaker to a Farmer with a relatively large amount of land, 70 acres,and from a man living in ‘Rotton Rowe’ to one employing two servants and an agricultural labourer.
1851 Census – William & Sarah Shellaker in Tugby
Tugby RG number: HO107 Piece: 2080 Book/Folio: 146 Page: 7
| Name | Relationship | Sex | Age | Profession | Where Born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Shellaker | Head | M | 63 | Farmer of 70 acres employing one lab | Rutland,Lyndon |
| Sarah Shellaker | Wife | F | 57 | Farmers Wife | Lincolnshire, Spittlegates |
| Thomas Palmer | Servant | M | 16 | Agricultural Servant | Leicestershire, Goadby |
| William Bird | Servant | M | 18 | Agricultural Servant | Leicestershire, Goadby |
| William Laxton | Lodger | M | 22 | Agricultural Labourer | Leicestershire, Tugby |
| Elizabeth Laxton | Lodger | F | 21 | Leicestershire, Blaston |
1851 CENSUS – RICHARD – APPRENTICE BUTCHER IN LEICESTER
As mentioned William & Sarah’s son Richard is not recorded as living in Tugby with his family. He is living at the house of William Stevenson, at 47, Granby Street, in the parish of St. Margarets, in the centre of Leicester. William Stevenson is a Butcher and Richard Shelllaker, aged 20 years old, is recorded as being a ‘Apprentice Butcher’.
1851 Census – Richard Shellaker in Granby Street, Leicester
| Name of Street | Name | Relationship | Sex | Age | Profession | Where Born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47 Granby Street | William Stevenson | Head | M | 49 | Butcher | Newton Lodge, Leicestershire |
| Ann Stevenson | Wife | F | 58 | Humberstone, Leicestershire | ||
| Elizabeth Stevenson | Daug | M | 18 | Leicester | ||
| Ruth Stevenson | Daug | M | 15 | Leicester | ||
| Richard Shellaker | Apprentice | M | 20 | Apprentice | Tugby, Leicestershire | |
| Charles Bottril | Lodger | F | 21 | Apprentice | Shearsby, Leicestershire | |
| Frank Granger | Lodger | M | 17 | Agricultural Labourer | Woodboro Lodge, Leicestershire, |
47, GRANBY STREET, LEICESTER
The building in which Richard Shellaker was an apprentice butcher no longer stands. However I have identified the location of number 47, Granby Street and have found two old photographs which showing the building which is on the corner of a small alleyway. The shop is marked with an ‘X’ on both of the images below.
These images below are not contemporary to 1851, the time Richard was working in the William Stevenson’s butcher shop. Both images show tram lines, which were installed in Leicester from 1901 onwards but I am confident the building identified on the photographs below is the building in which Richard Shellaker worked as a 20 year old apprentice.
Granby Street, Leicester showing the building in which Richard Shellaker was a butcher’s apprentice
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