Fisherford - Black Burn
© Copyright Iain Macaulay and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
In the 1851 census, the properties at Fisherford are preceded by a number described as being ‘over Fisherford’. There are a few more properties in the village itself by this time, and these are numbered, as follows:
20.
Robert Hall, 35, Grocer and Clothier
Barbara Hall, 27, Merchant’s wife
Mary Franklin (?), 67, House servant
21.
George Robb, 45, Farming 20 acres and Innkeeper
Elizabeth Robb, 34, Farmer’s wife
Ellen Robb, 19, daughter
Alexr Robb, 13, son
Charles Robb, 9, son
Barbara Robb, 5, daughter
William Robb, 3, son
Mary Robb, 1, daughter
22.
Alexr Milton, 24, Tailor Master
23.
James Robb, 80, Farming 9 acres
Elizabeth Robb, 67, Farmer’s wife
Elizabeth Morrison, 22, Houseservant
Mary Boddie, 3, Boarder
24.
James Cruickshank, 41, Agricultural labourer
Christian Cruickshank, 20, Agricultural labourer’s wife
Mary Cruickshank, 4, daughter
25.
Charles Booth, 57, Farming 103 acres, employing 10 labourers and 1 boy
Margaret Booth, 57, Farmer’s wife
Charles Booth, 36, son
Helen Booth, 25, daughter
James Booth, 23, son
Mary Booth, 20, daughter
George Booth, 15, son
Margaret Hall, 2, granddaughter
James Angus, 26, servant/agricultural labourer
John Robb, 16, agricultural labourer
Ann Livingston , 22, House servant
The households in Fisherford are followed by others in Redhill.
These records tell us that by 1851 there were 6 separate households in Fisherford, compared to the four or five ten years earlier. One significant change is that two properties are now occupied by non-agricultural workers: a tailor and a grocer / clothier. Another development is that there are now three, rather than two farming properties – and that two of these are in the hands of members of the Robb family.
Because of the random ordering of properties in the census, mentioned in the last post, it’s impossible to match the farms in the 1851 census with those listed in 1841. However, it seems safe to assume that Charles Booth, and probably James Robb, were occupying the same properties as they were ten years before. And that George Robb’s farm was attached or close to the inn, which we know was on the west side of the main north-south road running through the village, just north of the bridge over the burn, and across the road from the Fisherford crofts (see map in this post). We don’t know how George came by his property, whether he took over any land from his ageing father James, or how he progressed from slater to innkeeper and farmer.
We can see that Charles Booth is, by a long way, the most significant tenant (property-owner?) in the village. However, as the only other farming tenants, George and James Robb are by no means insignificant, and we can assume that they must have been key figures in the local community. Note that James and Elizabeth Robb were able to employ a house servant. Note also that one of Charles Booth’s employees (and boarder) was George Robb’s son John. Apparently it was common for the sons of farmers to serve an ‘apprenticeship’ of this kind at neighbouring farms.
