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	Speculum Gregis 1843 'An Account of all the Inhabitants of the Parish of Croydon in the County of Cambridgeshire commencing from 1 January 1843' by Reverend Francis Fulford 1803-1868 (Rector at Croydon 1841-1845). Additional notes by Reverend R S B Sandilands (Rector 1845-1864).

Home Speculum Gregis Wimpole Past Wympole & Wratsworth Introduction and Index Introduction and Index 1841 Census Croydon Farmers Croydon History Croydon Photographs Croydon Riot The Lost Convict Preface Annotated Pages Pages 01 to 09 Pages 01 to 09 (Rebuilding) Pages 10 to 19 Pages 20 to 29 Pages 30 to 39 Pages 40 to 49 Pages 50 to 59 Pages 60 to 69 Pages 70 to 79 Pages 80 to 91 Basic Pages Pages 01 to 09 Pages 10 to 19 Pages 20 to 29 Pages 30 to 39 Pages 40 to 49 Pages 50 to 59 Pages 60 to 69 Pages 70 to 79 Pages 80 to 91 Name Index Surnames A to H Surnames I to L Surnames M to S Surnames T to Z Parish Church All Saints Church The Rectors Sunday School c1843 Baptisms 1840-1850 Banns 1840-1850 Marriages 1840-1850 Burials 1840-1850 Fulford's_Anniversary Guestbook

Pages 1 to 9 (Basic Text) This is the basic text of the "Speculum Gregis" pages 1 to 9 inclusive as an uninterrupted transcription. Also available is the annotated text of the same 9 pages including additional background material, family research contributions from readers, excerpts from the 1841 census, and some related photographs.   The wording used in both versions was originally a distillation of three separate transcriptions of the original hand-written text. Where the texts differed, I followed the majority unless historical evidence suggests I should do otherwise. I have subsequently transcribed the text direct from the original document so the corrected transcription used on this website (currently pages 1 to 29 inclusive) is therefore my own. Detailed explanatory notes are given at the foot of each page.

Back to The Preface Top (Basic Text) Pages: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09

1 Page 1 "I have begun the list at the Arrington End and then gone straight up the road. Richard Carter Formerly kept the 'Carpenter's Arms', has been in penury difficulties - is a carpenter- and now lives in the Yard adjoining the 'Queen Adelaide' Public House; his wife is sister to Mrs Thomas Larkins. He has three daughters and two sons. [later] Samuel Bartel and Mary his wife. They have been keeping the public house for about 1 year. He wants to get a licence from the Magistrates - but failed this year (1845) owing to an informality in his notices. I refused to sign his petition this year - and should do so again - as a girl, his servant, complained to me of his improper treatment of her, and his character (entrè nous) is notorious in that line. His wife is a dawdle, and his children unruly." [Above transcription corrected against original document on 28 August 2008]   Page 1: Annotations and genealogy here

2 Page 2 "Near the 'Carpenter's Arms' or 'Axe and Compasses'. James Thacker and Jane. Aged people, can both read. He attends Croydon Church: she says she attends Wendy Church, having long been used to it. She is mother by her first husband (Titmus) to William, John and James Titmus, Jane Chapman (Jonathan's wife) and Mary Blowes. He has child by her first husband by a former wife, Martha Spencer, and William Thacker (page 16). Lives in the same house James Titmus and Elizabeth his wife. Can both read. She was a servant living at Mrs George's. They were married in Croydon Church on October 14 1842. They have one infant. I believe James Titmus and his family are just going to move up to the middle of the village. Richard Hagger, aged and disabled in one hand, brother to John Hagger, has his meals here but sleeps at John and Sarah Pedler's." [Above transcription corrected against original document on 28 August 2008]   Page 2: Annotations and genealogy here

3 Page 3 "The next house towards the village. William Pearce and Anne. Both can read. He works for Mr Merry.    1. William Pearce, aged 14. In the Sunday School.    2. Isaac Pearce, aged 12. Can read. Both christened at Croydon Church. I was obliged to turn Isaac out of the Sunday School, he was so unruly and turbulent. William is the same at times. There are also some daughters older than the two sons. Lydia, aged about 19, was married in Croydon Church to Richard Barton of Hinxworth, Hertfordshire, October 31 1842. There is another daughter Mary, out at Service, who has had a baseborn child, which lives with its grandfather. It is aged 4 years and is called Arthur, but has not been Christened. They all attend Church very regularly. Anne Pearce seems to be of a peevish temper but they have great trials. Pearce has been obliged to give over work from infirmity." [Above transcription corrected against original document on 28 August 2008]   Annotated Page

4 Page 4 The Rectory Reverend F Fulford RSBS: (The good shepherd, to whom his successor feels greatly obliged for this 'Speculum Gregis'.) [Above transcription corrected against original document on 28 August 2008]   Annotated Page

5 Page 5 "House next to Mr Ellis's garden, by the Horse pond. William Titmus and Lydia He is son to Jane Thacker (page 2). He can't read, she can. He works for Mr Haydon of Arrington. Samuel Richardson, grandson to Widow Edwards (page 52), her son by her former husband, lives with them, aged 22. Both Titmus and Richardson are given to drinking, but Titmus has of late begun to attend Church very regularly. Lydia and Samuel Richardson also attend church regularly." RSBS: (Samuel Richardson is gone to Canada. Lydia Titmus is a great talker.) [Above transcription corrected against original document on 28 August 2008]   Annotated Page

6 Page 6 "Next door to the former. John Titmus and Eunice Brother to the last. She is daughter of John Simpson the RSBS: (late) Clerk. They both read a very little.    1. Mary Titmus, aged 13. Can't read.    2. Jane Titmus, aged 10. In the Sunday school    3. Eliza Titmus, aged 8. In the Sunday school.    4. William Titmus, aged 5.    5. Isiah Titmus, aged 3. All christened at Croydon Church, where they were married. He works for Mr Ellis, is given to drinking and rarely attends Church - she only occasionally. She says she can't manage to send her eldest girl to the Sunday School. Jane was dangerously ill with a fever August 1842." RSBS: (Eunice has attended church pretty regularly of late. John is very ill, a good deal brought on by drinking. He is a member of the Odd Fellows' Club.) RSBS: (Later: John has profited much by his late illness and I have a good hope it will be a blessing to him.) [Above transcription corrected against original document on 28 August 2008]   Annotated Page

7 Page 7 "First New Cottage at the bottom of the village Joseph Purser and Anne Aged people. Dissenters. They generally attend Bassingbourn Independent Meeting, and he expounds etc in the village on Thursday evenings. She acts as a midwife. RSBS: (Joseph Purser has attended Church constantly twice every Sunday for more than a year, and she very often. I believe them to be good sort of people.) Live in the same house with the above. Jacob Wooten and Jessie (alias Mahala) He is son of Joseph and Honor Wootton, works for Mr Ellis, can read little. She can read. They were married at Swaffam. They attend church very regularly.    1. Ada Maria Wootton, aged 3. Christened in Croydon Church.    2. Charlotte Wootton, aged 2. Christened in Croydon Church.    (3. ------------------) Mahala dropt down dead suddenly in a dancing booth at the Feast 1844." RSBS: (Jacob Wootton married again in October 1846; his wife's name is Lydia, some years older than himself. He maintains a good character, and she seems a very respectable person.) [Above transcription corrected against original document on 28 August 2008]   Annotated Page

8 Page 8 Next door John and Sarah Pedley Aged. He works at present for Mr Elliston. Can't read either of them. She is sister to Ann Miller, very orderly old people.    1. William Pedley, aged 20. Sleeps at Miss White's. He can't read, was Christened at Croydon. They all attend Church very constantly. William has left the parish. Richard Hagger Sleeps in the same house, but has his meals with James and Jane Thacker. He is aged and disabled in one hand, RSBS: (very rarely) attends church, and is a rough subject. RSBS: (I find him regular at Church now, and generally civil. December 1848) [Above transcription corrected against original document on 28 August 2008]   Annotated Page

9 Page 9 "Next door. Simeon and Susan Titmus [He] Can read. She can't read. He sings at Church and works for Mr C King. He is son to Charles and Kitty Titmus, and Susan is sister to Thomas Nash.    1. Jane Titmus, aged 8. Attends the Sunday School.    2. Anne Titmus, aged 4. Attends the Sunday School.    3. Rebecca Titmus, aged 2. They were married in Croydon Church and all their children Christened there. They attend Church very regularly, and are very steady respectable people. Susan is one of our washerwomen. Sleeps here William Graves Aged about 30, is cousin to Catherine Lee and has his meals at her house. He can read, attends Church constantly, is rather out of his mind at times. Has no near kindred. I think he has left and lodges elsewhere. He is a very simple, harmless fellow. He lodges with John Green, the Clerk." [Above transcription corrected against original document on 28 August 2008]   Annotated Page

The Speculum Gregis continues here

Explanatory Notes: Fulford generally devoted one page to each property; and I have retained his page numbers as serials for the entries. Crossings out shown are as in the original document. Information, footnotes and commentary additional to the original "Speculum Gregis" texts are shown as [grey text in square brackets]. In the pages of the original "Speculum Gregis", two handwritings are apparent, that of Francis Fulford (entries from 1843 to 1845) and that of his successor, the Rev Sandilands (entries from 1845 to 1848). The notes by the Rev Sandilands have been shown in this online edition as RSBS: (dark blue text within round brackets) and sometimes identified as a later entry. However, having taken the opportunity to check the first 30 pages of the original manuscript, I found that quite a number of comments attributed to Sandilands in "The Rector and his Flock" were actually in Fulford's handwriting. I assume from the chronology of entries in the later 61 pages that there will be further attributions falling into this category.   A national Census was taken on the 6 June 1841, three weeks before Fulford's arrival in Cambridgeshire and eighteen months before the "Speculum Gregis" was started. Details from the Croydon-cum-Clopton census have been added to page entries where appropriate. Note that the ages of adults were generally rounded to the nearest five years by the census enumerator and therefore they should not be taken as a reliable indication of age. The enumerator also reported that 26 Croydon labourers were "having left the district for the hay harvest in the neighbourhood of London", which would explain the absence of a number of the known heads of households. I want this site to be as accurate and as informative as possible - please let me know if something is wrong, however trivial the correction. I would also welcome additional information to add to the annotated text - especially from those with 'family' in Croydon between 1840 and 1850. In the first instance please contact the website with details.

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This page was last updated on: 17 March 2021. Page rebuilt 9 March 2021.