Population, Occupations and Notable Historical Residents
Population:
1086 – 32 recorded
1327 – 22 taxpayers paid £2 3s. 6d.
1524 – 25 taxpayers paid £1 5s. 4d.
1603 – 80 adults
1674 – 32 households
1676 – 103 adults
1801 – 190 inhabitants
1831 – 261 inhabitants
1851 – 283 inhabitants
1871 – 229 inhabitants
1901 – 147 inhabitants
1931 – 136 inhabitants
1951 – 120 inhabitants
1971 – 121 inhabitants
1981 – 97 inhabitants
2001 - 127 inhabitants
2011 - 136 inhabitants
Notable Historical Residents
Sir Thomas Tuddenham convicted of treason and beheaded 1461.
Thomas Le Blanc 1748–1816: resident of the parish, Norfolk circuit judge.
Harry.S. Waddington 1840–1870s: resident of Cavenham Hall, MP for Bury St Edmunds.
Adolphe Goldschmidt resident of Cavenham Hall. Grandfather of Sir James Goldsmith, Chairman of Cavenham Group PLC, and merchant banking family.
Frank Goldsmith: MP resident of Cavenham Hall. Elected MP as the Conservative and Unionist MP for the area in 1910. Frank Goldsmith was the grandfather of both tycoon James Goldsmith and environmentalist Edward Goldsmith. Adolphe's descendants are Zac and Jemima Goldsmith.
Occupations:
1500–1549 1 husbandman
1550–1599 2 husbandmen, 1 shepherd, 3 yeomen, 1 vicar
1600–1649 6 husbandmen, 1 shepherd, 1 tailor, 3 yeomen, 3 labourers, 1 herdsman
1650–1699 1 cooper, 2 husbandmen, 1 miller, 4 shepherds, 5 yeomen, 3 labourers
1831 54 in agriculture, 10 in retail trade, 1 professional, 17 in domestic service
1844 Shoemaker, corn miller, steward, 2 shopkeepers, joiner/builder, Farmer/beerhouse keeper, maltster, 2 farmers
From 1846 there is mention of two Cavenham shopkeepers, a butcher and a postmaster in the record office though it is unclear where their premises were sited. It is worth noting that many individuals had several occupations and that occupations for the same person sometimes differ depending on the source. Kelly’s, White’s and Harrod’s Directories or the census of 1861 unless otherwise indicated.
1912 Subpostmaster, schoolmistress, farm bailiff, head gardener, estate foreman, head gamekeeper, beer retailer, electrical engineer, shopkeeper
The Plough
This was the only pub in the area with a spittoon. A local, the pipe smoker Arthur Spalding became known as Dead Eyed Dick because he never missed. The pub sold ‘Battle Axe’ and ‘Walnut Plug’ Tobacco which came in lengths of about 2 foot marked in 1-ounce strips which were chiselled off for the customer.
Alan Firman, a previous inhabitant recalling the 1930’s.
The following list of names and occupations may indicate the occupants of The Plough:
1550’s Built
1846 William Ransdale farmer and beer house
1861 William Ransdale rented The Plough for £2. 2s.
1864 Joseph Ransdale; farmer and beer retailer
1875 Joseph Ransdale; farmer and beer retailer with 62 acres
1883 Emily Ransdale beer retailer and farmer with 60 acres
1891 Arthur Ransdale Source: Census
1891. 1896 Edward Ransdale
1904 Alfred Peachey - Beer retailer
1908 Charles Bull - Beer retailer
1914 Let on lease from Greene, King & Sons at a yearly rent of £38
1916 Albert Palmer - Beer retailer
C.1976 Closed.
C.1985 Sold into private hands
The Post Office
The following list of names and occupations may help to indicate the occupants of the Post Office:
1846 Stephen Howard - Shopkeeper Philip Warner - Shopkeeper.
1851 Philip Warner - Shopkeeper. (Lodger -J Hammond; see 1883.)
1861 Susan Osborne - Shopkeeper.
1864 Philip Warner - Shopkeeper.
Head Keeper Source:
James Cox - Shopkeeper and dealer
Dealer and farmer.
Charles Fyson - Butcher
Carpenter.
Estate Butcher. Census
1871-1875 James Cox - Shopkeeper
Susannah Warner - Shopkeeper
1881 Caroline Warner - Shopkeeper.
1883 John Hammond - Postmaster
Caroline Warner - Shopkeeper
1888 Joseph Ransdale - Tobacconist and grocer.
1896 Rose Hammond - Sub postmistress (Widow)
1891-1904 Joseph Ransdale - Subpostmaster and shopkeeper
1908 Joseph Ransdale - Post &Telegraph Office and shopkeeper
1916 Edward Thorpe - Post & Telegraph Office Subpostmaster and shopkeeper.
1925-1837 William Ford - Post & Telegraph Office and shopkeeper.
