Watlington road name

[emmygee]

Hi, I am researching distant family in Watlington, Oxfordshire. In the 1841 & 1851 censuses they lived in Hog Lane, which is now Chapel Street. In the 1861 census they lived in Back Lane, which I cannot find on old maps of the period. Nearby premises were Spring Cottage in Hill Road and The Carrier's Arms also in Hill Road.
Does anyone have any idea where Back Lane was or is?

[BucksFerret]

I would have to research myself to be certain, but I grew up in Watlington, and I've never before seen reference to a Back Lane - though that might not mean anything !  It sounds very much as though it may have been what is now Watcombe Road, which runs between Hill Road and the B480 at Ingham Lane. The Carriers Arms is still there, a few yards away at the top of Hill Road at the junction with Spring Lane. Another possibility is that it is Spring Lane, which runs parallel to Watcombe Road from the Carriers Arms to the B480, but Spring Lane seems very much more modern.

I hope this helps.

GRAHAM

[emmygee]

Thanks Graham.

On the 1876 map Watcombe Road is not named, so that is a possibility, Spring lane is though. I noticed a narrow road / lane that runs parallel to Hill Road between Spring Lane and Watcombe Road with a couple of cottages shown. On Google Earth it can be seen to the left of 35 Spring Lane. Maybe I should get the previous census page to see what else is nearby.

Cheers,
Maurice

[Orpheus]

The Eureka Partnership's book 'The People of Watlington' http://www.eurekapartnership.com/page40.htm includes some persons in the 1918 Absent Voters List whose addresses are given as Back Way.  Perhaps it would be worthwhile consulting an Ordnance Survey map of between 1910 and 1920.  Just a thought .....

[emmygee]

Hi Orpheus, those books look interesting. The 1919 six-inch OS map of the area, http://maps.nls.uk/view/101458107  has a few road names but only the "main" roads, not every lane unfortunately.

[BucksFerret]

I assume you're not local to Watlington, so unable to make local enquiries? I'll be going over, but not for a few weeks. I'll see what I can discover.

[emmygee]

Thanks for the offer Graham, much appreciated. No, I am not local, half way round the world in fact.
The people in question were John and Eliza BENWELL. I have a download of the 1861 census as follows: 1861 Census of England and Wales, England, Oxfordshire, Watlington, page 44, schedule 270, line 2, John Benwell; (RG 9/884)

Cheers
Maurice

[BucksFerret]

Hello again Maurice

I see that on the 1919 revised 1922 published OS map XLVII.SW, both Spring Lane and Watcombe Road are named.

In view of the references to Back Lane in the voters list of 1918 which Orpheus has pointed out (thanks Orpheus), Back Lane clearly cannot be Watcombe Road after all.

I should say then that it's quite likely to be the narrow pathway extending westwards from Spring Lane into Watcombe Road that you suggest, or possibly even the short pathway which extends Watcombe Road northwards to join Hill Road.

A friend to whom I was speaking at the weekend suggested that it might be the alleyway which runs parallel to both Watcombe Road and Couching Street, which lies midway between the two. However, I'm a little sceptical, as it's so much further away from the Carriers Arms.

Bear with me - I'll be going over to Watlington during the course of July.

GRAHAM

[emmygee]

Hi Graham,

I have had a look at more census returns for the 1861 census. I imagine that the schedule numbers were issued in the order that the enumerator did his rounds. If this is so, the order of the houses he visited is as follows:
Church Meadow, 14 houses;
Gorwell, 12 houses;
Hill Road, 2 houses (one called Hill House);
Back Lane, 5 houses (one unoccupied);
Hill Road, Spring Cottage and Carriers Arms;
Shirburn Road.

I'm not sure if that helps though.

Cheers
Maurice