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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: kateyas on Wednesday 22 March 23 09:02 GMT (UK)
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Hi readers!
I had a gt. uncle who was resident at 8 Homer Yard, according to the 1939 Register. I have tried looking around various sites and maps, but have not had any luck about where Homer Yard was in Saffron Walden, or what was in Homer Yard, such as alms houses or a workhouse or what. He was described as being 'incapacitated', that why I thought of those sorts of places, or even a Doss house. He'd been an agricultural worker and I've considered that he may have had an accident to cause the incapacity.
Has anyone any knowledge about Homer Yard?
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Looking at the register and the other households in the yard, it was most likely an area of housing situated close to the High Street. Many of these densely-packed areas of housing used to exist in towns, in some cases named after the owner or builder of the housing. I certainly don’t think he was in an almshouse or workhouse. This map doesn’t name it but does show yard-like areas off the High Street:
https://maps.nls.uk/view/104191263
Dave :)
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Hi Davedrave.
Thanks for that.
That was a type of 'street' that I had considered as the term 'yard' was so often given to these little, almost alleyways, wasn't it, especially in the bigger cities, as with the term 'wynd' in Scotland. Being 'incapacitated' he was likely to be impoverished, even though it was in the near-mid 1900s, and these places existed for so long. Gran never spoke much about her family, not did my father, so I think they would have been self-conscious about his circumstances. We lived in NW Kent.
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Looking at the register and the other households in the yard, it was most likely an area of housing situated close to the High Street. Many of these densely-packed areas of housing used to exist in towns, in some cases named after the owner or builder of the housing. I certainly don’t think he was in an almshouse or workhouse. This map doesn’t name it but does show yard-like areas off the High Street:
https://maps.nls.uk/view/104191263
Dave :)
Are you sure that the address is actually in the town of Saffron Walden, rather than elsewhere within Saffron Walden rural district. There is a High street in just about every village. Look at the register and look at the heading of the previous page.
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Apologies. Yes, looking again, it looks most likely to be in the village of Manuden, north of Bishop’s Stortford.
Dave :)
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Well, Davedrave, that makes a lot more sense as Manuden is the village that branch of the Tants came from. There's quite a few of them and their branches with the Petchy/Peacheys and others.
Thanks again. I'll explore that avenue.
Cheers.
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Well, Davedrave, that makes a lot more sense as Manuden is the village that branch of the Tants came from. There's quite a few of them and their branches with the Petchy/Peacheys and others.
Thanks again. I'll explore that avenue.
Cheers.
I don’t feel I can really take credit for finding it, since it was LizzieL who pointed out my blunder, but I’m pleased we’ve got there eventually.
Dave :)
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Hello both LizzieL and Davedrave.
I hadn't read back completely, and what I've now read satisfies me. On the copy of the 1939 Registration that I saw as a discovery in MyHeritage there was only Charles Tant's name, and there didn't seem to be a viewable copy of the original, as with the Census and ones I had seen for my other family members. I looked for other names and details to give me the clue because I had seen those sort of details with other F/T individuals I was researching.
This twice now that 'RootsChat has helped me over a 'hump'.
Thanks again.
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Herts and Essex Observer
9 newspaper hits for the above paper (on BNA) for "Homer's Yard, Manuden" are returned when searching under the search key" Homers Yard" (1930-1944). But when viewing the actual newspaper article the name is clearly "Horner's Yard". Several relate to the activities of the parish church (St Mary's?).
2 March 1935
Manuden Annual Church Meeting
" ... It was decided to begin levelling of graves, under Faculty, at the back of Horner's Yard ..."
21 Mar 1936
Annual Meeting Manuden Church
" ... A tomb broken some years ago by fall of a tree had been repaired and a length of neat iron fence near Horner's Yard had been erected. Mr Tant, the groundsman, to act. Gravestones in the area treated are to be left upright and bases rammed but not cemented" ..."
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Have found "Horner's Yard" on the 1921 Census, followed immediately by the "Post Office" and then "The Street". You can see the "P.O" on this 1923 map - https://maps.nls.uk/view/102342134
All very close to St. Mary's Church.
An article on the renovation of the Manuden War Memorial includes "Joseph Bayford, husband of Ann Ada Bayford of Horner's Yard, Manuden". Ann Ada Bayford appears on the Electoral Roll 1918-1929, address "The Village, Parish of Manuden".
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Hello Hanes, another big 'Thank you'.
All of you deserve a big hug from a happy old woman!
I cannot afford to join yet another genealogy site so I can't access the 1921 Census - not yet anyway, but so much is coming up I might need to make myself afford it!
I have done some indexing so know how difficult it can be for indexers to correctly interpret older styles of handwriting and that one from 'Horner' to 'Homer' is quite forgivable, I think. I'll try and follow up on the newspaper links
I did, a couple of years back, contact someone about family stuff in Manuden and Berden [Frederick Tant's home village], and also do a lot of satellite and Street View looking to give me an idea of the villages in general - albeit now very different. I would have cycled in the general area back in the 1950s without realising Gran came from the district.
Thank you all again.
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Manuden and Berden History Society - http://www.manuden.org.uk/mhs.asp
Might be worth contacting. "Horner's Yard, Manuden" is mentioned as late as 1959/60 in the newspapers.
The 1939 register has "Nos 1-8 Horner's Yard". One Census lists 7 properties at "Horner's Yard". On Streetview, from the road you can view St Mary's Church to the right and to the left a row of houses that runs parallel to the Church - with a graveyard in between. These are the backs of the houses (the fronts cannot be viewed). There appear to be about 8 properties and I did wonder if this was "Horner's Yard". On the 1923 map posted previously this block appears immediately to the left of the "P.O.".
Herts and Essex Observer, 21 Apr 1934
"ALMSHOUSE TRUST PROPERTY - On Wednesday the Almshouse Trust Property in Homer's Yard was visited ..."
Might be worth contacting Manuden Almshouse Trust Charity?
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Hanes - I have, just 5 minutes ago, stopped looking at St. Mary's Church and 'drove' along The Street, and other roads in/around Manuden on Street View. I'll go back and re-look at what you have described as I was definitely interested in that row!!!!!
I'll also get my skates on and subscribe to Find my Past which seems to be the single, one really good source of material as a collection.
THANK YOU.
Kate S.
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Hanes - This looks as if it is the houses you pointed out. This is as seen through the grave/church yard on the link given.
Kate S
https://streetviewmaps.co.uk/england/essex/manuden.php
The snip-it pic I sent was too large but this link might show it. I was able to move slightly further along the road and zoom in, and immediately past the tree - kept on the far right - and got a view of just about all the houses. They look to probably be among the oldest in the village. I couldn't believe it. What a day for me; can't wait to show my husband!
Kate S