Amended 25th June 2007

For the census on 5th April 1891 I have details for 286 people living in families and 26 individuals such as lodgers and servants. 150 are female,  162 are male.  The County analysis is:-

Lancashire 122 Cheshire 107 Staffordshire  66 Buckingham  11 Rutland & NTT    6

There is just one family in Buckingham, headed by John originally from Knutsford; he had a Jewellery and Watch shop in Stony Stratford.
24 families are living in Lancashire , 19 in Cheshire  and 14 in Staffordshire.
The average in these counties is five persons per family ranging from nine to two with four the most common.

I have compared my list with the people in the 1901 census and there are several families still to be found in 1891.  Conversely, several of the families , 17 people, are not in the 1901 census and some could have emigrated.  It must also be borne in mind that census data is not 100% complete and we may never find them.

The five year old son of Robert Monks [taking his middle name from the maiden name of his mother] is in the fever hospital in Bolton.   He survived and his descendants are now in the Isle of Man and France.  In fact the latter, Graham HAMER has written a novel [“Paperchase”] in which the main character is called GIDMAN.  I had to ask why, and he told me it was the maiden name of his mother, so another link was found!

In Liverpool, most are in Everton with the others being in West Derby and Toxteth Park - the latter being my line employed as a commercial traveller and two insurance clerks..

In Macclesfield all occupations were connected with clothing - James 46, John 43, Alfred 40 and Andrew 29 were all tailors. James and Levi [36 a card cutter] were Boarders with Sarah 30 a silk piecer.  She was unmarried with a six year old daughter Ellen.   Mary 45 a widow was living with her son Frederick 14 a silk mill clerk - although she had married John in 1884, who died in 1890, she was nee GIDMAN, unmarried in the 1881 census.

In Knutsford, Edward 48 a painter was a widower living alone. For mention of other families there see the “Knutsford” page.

I have the employment details for 128.  About 15 are still employed on the land and a similar number in coal and iron.  25 are in mills and clothing manufacture.  Four are connected with watch and clock making including Edward born 1836 and Henry 1838. Prescot is interesting in this connection.  Dennis Moore of the Prescot Museum has researched the industry in the area and he gave me a mass of information on Gidman families connected with it between 1786 and 1871.  The remainder cover a wide variety of work including Cabinet makers, Brewers coopers and dock porters.

For the 1901 page click on the menu above or below