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Differing Responses to an Industrialising Economy - eTheses ...

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William Harbidge. 208<br />

Individuals also served their respective communities as officials<br />

appointed by the government, the m<strong>an</strong>or or the increasingly powerful parish<br />

authorities. 209<br />

In the 1680s William Kempson, who acted as bondsm<strong>an</strong> for local<br />

marriages, was described as <strong>an</strong> ‘appari<strong>to</strong>r’. 210<br />

The grocer, Popplewell, had come <strong>to</strong><br />

Bidford as <strong>an</strong> excisem<strong>an</strong>. 211<br />

His surname was not a local one; as noted earlier, the<br />

professional class were often quite mobile. In Period D the increasing number of tertiary<br />

sec<strong>to</strong>r occupations in this zone includes book-keeper, at<strong>to</strong>rney, commercial clerk,<br />

excisem<strong>an</strong>, registrar, tax-collec<strong>to</strong>r <strong>an</strong>d various parish officers <strong>an</strong>d soldiers serving <strong>an</strong>d<br />

retired, the latter in the form of Chelsea pensioners. By 1850 Bidford was import<strong>an</strong>t<br />

enough <strong>to</strong> boast a post-office, the keeper of whom was also a wharfinger, public<strong>an</strong>,<br />

shopkeeper <strong>an</strong>d coal-dealer. Gloucestershire was the first of the study area’s three<br />

counties <strong>to</strong> have a police force. Policemen were based in Long Mars<strong>to</strong>n from 1841,<br />

while Warwickshire villages had <strong>to</strong> wait until the 1850s.<br />

In Period D in probate <strong>an</strong>d marriage licence data professionals show <strong>an</strong> increase<br />

over earlier periods. 212<br />

Again baptism registers (1.3%) <strong>an</strong>d the 1841 census (2.2%) give<br />

a more realistic percentage, while the 1831 census has a figure of 1.6% for the capitalists,<br />

b<strong>an</strong>kers, professionals <strong>an</strong>d educated sec<strong>to</strong>r. 213<br />

208 John Clark of Pebworth <strong>an</strong>d Evesham was the (l<strong>an</strong>d) surveyor for various enclosure awards, for example<br />

Rous Lench, (WoRO, BA10631/2). He is also mentioned as <strong>an</strong> auctioneer, for example in Berrow’s<br />

Worcester Journal 26 Sept. 1782. William Harbidge, a Bidford at<strong>to</strong>rney, was commissioner for Bidford<br />

enclosure award 1766, (WaRO, Y1/2).<br />

209 For example, WoRO, marriage licence of Arthur Tomkins, Bidford, excisem<strong>an</strong>, 1730. Worcester<br />

Journal, 15 <strong>to</strong> 22 Oct. 1742 mentions Edward Showell, l<strong>an</strong>d-tax collec<strong>to</strong>r of Welford, who was robbed.<br />

210 For example, GlosRO, marriage licence of William Harwood, Milcote, (Wes<strong>to</strong>n on Avon), husb<strong>an</strong>dm<strong>an</strong>,<br />

Feb. 1687/8, mentions bondsm<strong>an</strong>, William Kempson, Welford, appari<strong>to</strong>r. J. Bris<strong>to</strong>w, The Local<br />

His<strong>to</strong>ri<strong>an</strong>’s Glossary of Words <strong>an</strong>d Terms, (Newbury, Countryside Books, 2001), p. 9, states that <strong>an</strong><br />

appari<strong>to</strong>r was <strong>an</strong> official or attend<strong>an</strong>t for ecclesiastic or civil courts.<br />

211 WoRO, marriage licence of Richard Popplewell, Bidford, excisem<strong>an</strong>, May 1759.<br />

212 Tables 5.2 <strong>an</strong>d 5.4.<br />

213 See Tables 5.6 <strong>an</strong>d 5.8 <strong>an</strong>d Appendices 5, 6 <strong>an</strong>d 7.<br />

184

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