1851 census at Withersfield name FREE (Completed excellently)

[Suffolk Mawther]

Chums with Matilda - their own Hair-weaving salon! - stayed overnight.

      

It's horse hair that they are weaving, big industry around North Essex/South Suffolk.  There were lots of horse-hair and cocoa nut matting factories dotted around here.

Have you checked to see how many of the Tatte family were living next door?  Might have been overcrowded?  Easier if the two girls were together and working same shifts at factory?

Pat ...

[esdel]

Yes, good thought that, Pat
esdel

[Suffolk Mawther]

From Withersfield it would have been possible to walk into Haverhill which had horse-hair and mat-making factories. 
Earlier there were many Silk weaving factories.
(Some of the public footpaths today from Withersfield to Haverhill would have originally been workers paths)

http://www.haverhill-uk.com/ history and genealogy pages

Also the time line at
http://www.stedmundsbury.gov.uk/sebc/visit/hh-to-1899.cfm

Shows the progress of industry in the town in the late 1800s.

Pat ...