1911 Census - Coleridge Walk



Coleridge Walk is also in the Artisan’s Quarter. At the time of the census, all 34 houses had been built, but only 13 of them were occupied and inhabited.  The houses were cottage style and relatively small.  All the occupied houses had either 4 rooms (62%) or 6 rooms (38%).

Only 37 people were resident on census night as less than half of the houses were occupied.

There was a majority of females: 21 (57%) compared with 16 (43%) males. Partly accounted for by the presence of two female servants.

Features of the inhabitants

• The age structure of the road was predominantly young.
• The average age of householders was 32.2 years and the average of wives a little less at 31.5 years.
• The oldest residents were a retired couple (aged 56 and 57). Seven households had children under 16 at home (54%)
• Average number of children per family was lower than in most other roads at 1.29.  Almost three quarters of families (5) had single child and only two (28.6%) had two.
• All the resident children (as opposed to two older girl visitors) were very young and mostly of pre-school age.
• Four recently married couples with no children.
• It is likely that Coleridge Walk appealed to new families, many of whom were likely to have more children in the future. This reflects the relatively small size of houses and lower rents which would have suited families at an early stage in their histories.
• The exceptions were an older couple whose children had left home and a single woman.
• Unlike some roads, there were no adult children or members of the extended family in any of the homes.
• Of the thirteen heads of household only one was a woman (a single professional woman) and all the male heads of household were married.
• Only two households employed a servant. (Probably reflects income and house size).

Employment of residents

• None of the wives worked (typical of the time).
• The one female who worked outside the home was a teacher. There were two female servants who lived in.
• Male occupations were predominantly non-manual. Varied from professional (e.g. chartered accountant) to less skilled roles such as stationer’s assistant
• There was one skilled manual worker, a carpenter-joiner.
• The dominant male occupation (1/3 of respondents) was that of clerk, in a variety of industries.
• One man was a sorter, presumably also employed at the new sorting office serving the area in St George’s Way.

Where were residents born?

• Birthplaces of residents much less varied than in many other roads.  
• By far the majority 73% were born in London.
• All except one of the children were London born, but London is also the most important birthplace among the adults, 2/3 of men and women being from London).
• One wife has an unknown birthplace and one of the men (the carpenter-joiner) was born in the Home Counties
• Just over a fifth of adults born in other English counties.
• Typically the highly educated and those in high status occupations are more likely to migrate longer distances.

Interesting persons
Ralph B Bodilly: was a retired naval officer (Lt Commander) and law student.  He re-entered the Navy during 1st World War, returning to the reserve as Commander in 1918. He was also in Navy during WWII. Bodilly published a book on North West Passage and was Chief Magistrate during British Protectorate in Palestine, surviving an attempted assassination in 1937.