Bizarre 1881 census entry

[ajbaker]

Hi,

I've just found a very strange census entry for my great grandmother's sister Lucy, her husband,  and two children in Hordle, Hampshire.

Instead of being listed as 'Head; wife; son, daughter', they are listed as 'son, daughter, son, daughter'.

In fact, there are four pages of families, all listed as sons or daughters! The address is given as 'The Shaker's House and Tents, Hordle, Hampshire'. The occupations of all the entries for four pages are given as 'By Faith'.

The ref is  RG11/1191, Folio 75, Page 1.

Have I stumbled across some kind of bizarre cult?

Can anyone shed any light?

Regards,
Adam

[Manchester Rambler]

The Shaker movement was founded in England, but mainly flourished in the US - a pretty comprehensive history is here: http://www.rootsweb.com/~quakers/shakers.htm

Rambler

[Heather D]

Just go Google - Shakers Hordle - Adam ... it's fascinating stuff it seems there's been a book written about them too.

Heather

[Heather D]

This link is good, for anyone interested

http://www.bbc.co.uk/southampton/faith/philip_hoare.shtml

[ajbaker]

Hi again,

Thanks for the replies. I've followed the links - you're right, it's fascinating stuff. I'll certainly follow this one up and find out more.

Regards,
Adam

[Lettice]

Hi,
I'm new to RootsChat, but have been researching my family tree for a while.
  I too found some ancestors in the Hordle Shaker camp; Thomas Todd aged 60 and two of his daughters.  I found his wife Agnes had died in 1877 in Lymington, so I guess she must be one of the ones burried in unmarked graves, now built over by a church hall, which I found rather sad.  He returned to Suffolk and was still an Ag Lab at the age of 82!
 I would like to find out more about this "colourful" episode. I believe it was in the newspapers at the time, does anyone know the dates to look for or have any more information.?
 

[suemog]

Hi
 I have found an interesting web page about Judge Peterson who built a folly in the New Forest after a seance held by Mrs Girling the leader of The Shakers religious group. The judge believed that Sir Christopher Wren gave him the blue prints for the design of the folly during the seance!!

On the web site is information and some photos of the folly which was built at Sway.

http://www.follytowers.com/swaytxt.html

Sue