1886 Kelly’s P.O. Directory of Herts: Walkern
[Including notes on locations in present day Walkern]
Source: HALS
Walkern is a village and parish in the Northern division of the county, Stevenage petty sessional division, Broadwater Hundred, Hertford Union, Hitchin county court district, rural deanery of Benington and archdeaconry of St Albans, situate on the river Beane, which runs into the Lea, near Hoddeston, 9 ¾ miles north-by-west from Hertford, 8 miles north-north-east from Knebworth station, 5 east from Stevenage Station and 32 from London. The street forming the village is about 1 mile long.
The church of St Mary the Virgin is an edifice of flint and stone, dating from about 1200 and consists of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch and an embattled western tower containing 5 bells dating from 1713 to 1833: there are some remains of Norman work in the arcade of the north aisle, but the greater part of the existing church belongs to the Perpendicular period; the chancel was rebuilt in 1878 in the Early English style and an organ chamber and vestry added; in a recess on the south wall is a remarkably fine effigy in Purbeck marble of a knight in complete chain mail, with armed legs, probably representing one of the family of Lanvalei, who were lords of the manor from 1160 to 1220; there are several brasses to the families of Humberstone and Bramfield, 1581-96. In 1882 a new aisle was erected on the north side of the chancel by the Rev JG Cotton Browne in place of a faculty pew which had belonged to the family at Walkern Hall; the aisle, designed by Mr Hugh Roumieu Gough, architect, was opened on St Andrew’s Day, Nov 30th, 1882: More than £1,600 has been raised for the restoration of the nave: there are 260 sittings, 240 being free. The register dates from the year 1680. The living is a rectory, yearly value from tithe rent-charge £540, with 20 acres of glebe and a residence, in the gift of Kings College Cambridge, and held by the Rev James Camper Wright MA, formally fellow of that college. Here are chapels for Baptists, Congregationalists and Wesleyans. The charities amount to £12 13s 4d yearly derived from land situated in the parish and including a yearly sum of £3 5s 1d left in 1838 by Robert Pryor of Weston.
Here is an extensive brewery and mineral water works and also a steam flour mill. Straw plaiting is carried on here. The principle landowners are the Earl of Essex, who is lord of the manor, Joseph Wright Ward and EN Ward esquires, and Rev John George Cotton Brown MA JP of Walkern Hall. A library with reading room, was established in 1880; the library contains 795 volumes.
The soil is gravel, flint and clay; subsoil, various. The chief crops are wheat, barley, beans and turnips. The area is 2,986 acres, rateable value £4,461; the population in 1881 was 843.
At Walkern Bury, 1 mile east, are the remains of a castle; Bassett’s Green is 1 mile east; Clay End is a mile and a half south east.
Parish Clerk, William Newberry
Post & Money Order Office, Savings Bank & Annuity & Government Insurance Office: Daniel Pearman, postmaster. Letters through Stevenage, arrive at 7.30am; dispatched at 2.30pm and 6.10pm, Sunday dispatched at 10.10am. Parcels are received and dispatched same time as the mails. The nearest Telegraph office is at Stevenage.
Wall Box: (near Rectory) cleared at 2.20 & 6pm; Sundays at 10am
National School (mixed): erected by Rev JC Wright, rector here in 1830, an addition being made in 1852 by Mrs Harding; the school will hold 100 children, number on books, 91; average attendance, 79; the infants school was built in 1877, for 80 children, number on books, 60; average attendance, 48; William Brewster Blore, master; Mrs Annie Martha Blore, infants’ mistress; there is a residence attached.
Police Station: Henry Spriggs, constable in charge
Carriers: to Hertford, John Cannon, passes through on Saturday, returning same day.
- to London, John Cannon, passes through on Thursday, returning on Saturday
- to Hitchin & Stevenage, William Newberry on Tuesday returning same day
Private residents
Andrews Mrs
Beckwith Mrs, Irving cottage
Bonfield Miss
Bray James
Browne Rev John George Cotton Brown MA JP, Walkern Hall
Cannon Mrs
Channer Henry “Evangelist”
Hill Robert, Glebe cottage
Holland James
Pearman George David, Mizpah house
Pettit George
Wright Rev Jas Camper MA, Rectory
Wright Mrs
Commercial
Allison Joseph, saddler & shopkeeper
Andrews Martha (Miss), farmer
Barker Joseph, brewer
Brown George, farmer, Walkern Bury
Butler Edward, gardener to Rev JG Cotton Browne MA JP
Camp Chas, carpenter, Providence cottage
Canning Isaac, White Lion PH and Tax collector
Collins Thomas, beer retailer
Culver George, tailor
Culver Martha (Mrs), Red Lion PH
Dearman Frederick, blacksmith
Dickinson John, beer retailer & baker, Clay End
Dilley Philip, shopkeeper
Estwick Thomas, shopkeeper, brickmaker & farmer
Gazely Jonas, wheelwright, coach builder, beer retailer & rate collector
Green Walter, builder & carpenter
Green William, furniture dealer & beer retailer
Harding LM (Miss), day school
Keeling Alfred, butcher
Kitchener Ebenezer, grocer, draper & tea dealer, boots, shoes & ironmongery
Kitchener John Elliot, baker
Knott James, shopkeeper
Library & Reading Room (WJ Thorpe & W Savage, hon secs)
Menhinick Alex., farmer Walkern Park
Newberry William, blacksmith & Yew Tree PH
Pearman Daniel, baker & post office
Pearman John, farmer, Bridge’s farm
Pearman George David, miller (steam & water) & farmer, Walkern Mill
Pearman Thos. Ed., farmer, Boxbury
Petitt William, plumber, painter, glazier, grainer & house decorator; estimates free on application
Porter Samuel, farmer, Finches farm
Reeves Martha (Mrs), dressmaker
Rowlatt Samuel Robert, farmer, Walkern Place
Rust William, tailor
Savage James, bricklayer
Savage John, boot maker
Slow George, farm bailiff to Rev JG Cotton Browne MA JP
Stockbridge James Edward, baker & corn dealer
Titmuss Herbert, farmer Rook’s Nest
Thorpe William Jacob, builder
Victoria Brewery & Mineral Water Works (James Holland, manager)
Waldock George, beer retailer and shoemaker
Walkern Band of Hope & Temperance Society (James Allison, hon. sec.)
Walkern (Steam & Water) Mill (Robert Franklin, manager)
Ward George Smith, physician & surgeon, Rose cottage
Watson John, games keeper to Rev JG Cotton Browne MA JP
Woollaston Oswald, farmer, Holmes farm
Wray Frederick, farmer
Wright Samuel (exors of), ale, stout & porter brewers & maltsters & aërated water manufacturers, Victoria brewery & mineral water works.
