Literacy in Colchester 1754 to 1837

Christine Jones

Act for the Preventing of Clandestine Marriages

22 Geo. II.c.3

An Act for Marriages in England.

[17 August 1836]

6 & 7 Will. IV. c.85

R. S. Schofield, ‘The measure of literacy in pre-industrial England,’ in J. Goodey (ed.), Literacy in traditional societies (Cambridge, 1968) 311-25.

R. S. Schofield, ‘Dimensions of illiteracy, 1750-1850’, Explorations in Economic History, 10 (1973), 437-54; reprinted in H. J. Graff, ed., Literacy and social development (Cambridge, 1981) 201-213.

M. J. Heffernan, ’Literacy and geographic mobility in nineteenth century provincial France: some evidence from the départment of Ille-et-Vilaine’, Local Population Studies, 42 (1989), 32-42.

Population of Colchester in 1801 and 1831 by parish

Parish 1801 1831

All Saints 362 438

St Botolph 1,706 2,560

St Giles 1,106 1,606

St James 1,058 1,439

St Leonard 650 983

St Martin 677 1,035

St Mary at Walls 975 1,314

St Mary Magdalen 537 449

St Nicholas 896 1,035

St Peter 1,358 1,834

St Runwald 379 461

Holy Trinity 425 612

Totals 10,129 13,766

Marriages in Colchester 1754-1837 by parish

Parish Number of Marriages

All Saints 1,941

St Giles 1,059

St James 1,020

St Leonard 714

St Martin 579

St Mary at Walls 903

St Mary Magdalen 948

St Nicolas 720

St Peter 1,178

St Runwald 240

Holy Trinity 375

Totals 9,677

Literacy in Colchester 1754 to 1837 by parishParish Male literacy Female literacy Household literacy

All Saints 62.5 38.2 68.4

St Giles 52.3 30.7 58.6

St James 62.4 39.1 67.8

St Leonard 61.5 33.6 67.2

St Martin 67.5 42.1 74.6

St Mary at Walls 69.9 54.6 76.5

St Mary Magdalen 44.8 18.6 51.5

St Nicholas 66.8 46.5 72.4

St Peter 63.0 41.5 68.7

St Runwald 69.2 55.0 74.2

Holy Trinity 70.4 51.7 76.8

Totals 61.4 38.9 67.4

Marriages in parishes inside the walls by decade

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1757-66 1767-76 1777-86 1787-96 1797-1806 1807-1816 1817-1826 1827-1836

Decade

Nu

mb

er

of

ma

rria

ge

s

Total marriages

Literacy in the parishes within the walls

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

70.00

80.00

90.00

1757-66 1767-76 1777-86 1787-96 1797-1806 1807-1816 1817-1826 1827-1836

Decade

Pe

rce

nta

ge

sig

nin

g r

eg

iste

rs

Male literacy Female literacy Household literacy

Marriages in parishes outside the walls by decade

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

1757-66 1767-76 1777-86 1787-96 1797-1806 1807-1816 1817-1826 1827-1836

Decade

Nu

mb

er

of

ma

rria

ge

s

Total marriages

Marriages in parishes outside the walls 1787-1826

0

50

100

150

200

250

1787-91 1792-96 1797-1801 1802-1806 1807-1811 1812-1816 1817-1821 1822-1826

Quinqennia

Nu

mb

er

of

ma

rria

ge

s

St Giles St Leonard St Mary Magdalen

Literacy in the parishes outside the walls

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

70.00

80.00

1757-66 1767-76 1777-86 1787-96 1797-1806 1807-1816 1817-1826 1827-1836

Decade

Pe

rce

nta

ge

sig

nin

g r

eg

iste

rs

Male literacy Female literacy Household literacy

Proportions of widowers and widows by parish

Parish Widowers WidowsAll Saints 18.3 14.7St Giles 19.2 15.9St James 18.6 13.4St Leonard 16.9 14.3St Martin 20.6 13.3St Mary at Walls 17.0 9.0St Mary Magdalen 10.1 10.1St Nicholas 18.7 13.2St Peter 16.5 12.1St Runwald 18.8 13.3Holy Trinity 15.5 8.0Totals 17.2 12.9

Literacy levels at first and second marriage by parish

Parish Bachelors Widowers Spinsters Widows

All Saints 63.7 57.0 41.0 22.4

St Giles 53.3 46.5 30.3 21.1

St James 63.0 57.4 41.6 27.7

St Leonard 62.1 59.5 34.8 22.3

St Martin 66.6 68.1 44.2 26.0

St Mary at Walls 71.9 64.1 56.3 39.5

St Mary Magdalen 45.5 38.5 18.4 24.0

St Nicholas 68.2 62.7 48.5 32.6

St Peter 64.6 53.8 43.5 27.3

St Runwald 71.8 60.0 59.6 28.1

Holy Trinity 69.9 62.1 53.8 26.7

Totals 62.3 56.7 40.7 25.8

Comparison of literacy levels by pre-marital status

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1757-66 1767-76 1777-86 1787-96 1797-1806 1807-1816 1817-1826 1827-1836

Decade

Pe

rce

nta

ge

s s

ign

ing

pa

ris

h r

eg

iste

rs

Bachelors Widowers Spinsters Widows

Periods for which the parish registers of St Peter

include occupations of grooms:

1754-1758 – 88%

1754-1762 – 66%

1782-1808 – 59%

Groups of men for whom occupation tends to be omitted

• Those married by licence

• Widowers

• Those from other counties

All signed:BakersBreeches makersCollar makersCoopersFarmersGentlemenLinen drapersMarinersShopkeepersSilk weavers

Most signed:BarbersBlacksmithsButchersCabinet makersTailors

Two thirds signed:BricklayersCarpenters

Half signed:MarinersSoldiers

Two thirds marked:GardenersWool weavers

Most marked:Husbandmen

All marked:LabourersOyster dredgersWool combers

Conclusions: marriage registers can provide a comparative

measure of literacy

• To show differences between parishes;

• To show change over time;

• To show differences between social groups;

• When combined with occupational data to show differences between economic groups.