Under 32 Berw Road

[Tricia_2]

Some of my ancestors lived 'under 32 Berw Road' (Pontypridd, I think) according to the 1881 census.

Please, can anyone tell me, what does 'under' mean on an address like this?

Thanks

[Garethboxing]

At a guess, they lived in a separate house/cottage down the hill behind 32 Berw Road? It's only in comparatively recent times that it became compulsory for every inhabited building to have an official 'proper' address, so all sorts of phrases were used by enumerators (and residents) to identify where people lived.

     Gareth

[Cas (stallc)]

Hi Tricia, I have had this in much the same area.  Many families shared rented/leased houses I suppose.

For me it related to a three storey house and my lot occupied the basement or lower floor as their living area.  Normally the middle floor would be facing the street and the basement would be accessible from the back lane as such, under the middle floor.

Do not know if this applies for your family, though.

Cas

[Tricia_2]

Thanks Cas & Gareth,
 
Yes, it would appear that either of those could be possible.

Sometimes a word like this can have a specific meaning, in a specific area, and I just wondered if this might be the case ~ local knowledge can be a very useful thing!

I'll give those two ideas some thought, but if anyone else has any other suggestions, I would like to hear them.

Thanks!

[Wendi]

Hi Tricia_2

I've seen "behind" as used mostly in built up areas where the houses are back to back with alley ways to the front are marked "back of 32"

Under 32 would lead me the basement, but it's as well as to keep an open mind where Census are concerned.

What's the enumerators description say ( if you don't have access to it what is the full reference?)

Wendi 

[SS from The Rhondda]

As an aside,

32 Berw Road, Pontypridd has a mention in Slaters Directory of 1880

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/GLA/LlantwitFardre/Pontypridd/slaters.1880.html

...scroll down to 'Gentry & Clergy'

Mrs Mary Evans, 32 Berw Rd

[Tricia_2]

Hi Tricia_2

I've seen "behind" as used mostly in built up areas where the houses are back to back with alley ways to the front are marked "back of 32"

Under 32 would lead me the basement, but it's as well as to keep an open mind where Census are concerned.

What's the enumerators description say ( if you don't have access to it what is the full reference?)

Wendi 

Yes, in Birmingham we find 'back of' and I was wondering about something similar here.
I'll have to see if I can find more census info.

Thanks for the ideas.

[Tricia_2]

As an aside,

32 Berw Road, Pontypridd has a mention in Slaters Directory of 1880

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/GLA/LlantwitFardre/Pontypridd/slaters.1880.html

...scroll down to 'Gentry & Clergy'

Mrs Mary Evans, 32 Berw Rd

That's interesting!
Thank you very much for that!