1894 Kelly’s PO Directory of Herts: Walkern
Walkern is a village and parish on the river Beane, a feeder of the Lea 6 miles north-north-east from Knebworth and 5 east from Stevenage stations on the Great Northern Railway, 9 ¾ miles north by west from Hertford and 32 from London, in the northern division of the county, Broadwater Hundred, Stevenage petty sessional division, Hertford Union, Hitchin County court district and in the rural deanery of Benington and archdeaconry and diocese of St Albans. 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 of four bays, 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 is a brass with effigies to Edward Humberstone, ob 1583 and Anna (Welche) his wife and 8 children; another with effigies, to William Chapman, citizen and haberdasher of London, ob 1601 and Anna his wife, 1480, inscription lost; 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 Rounieu Gough, architect, was opened on St Andrew’s Day, Nov 30th 1882; there are 250 sittings, 240 being free.
The register dates from the year 1680. The living is a rectory, average tithe rent-charge £453, net yearly value £423, with 20 acres of glebe and a residence, in the gift of Kings College Cambridge, and held since 1889 by the Rev Henry John Phillpotts MA of Christ Church Oxford. Here are Baptist, Congregational and Wesleyan chapels. The library and reading room. Established in 1880 is managed by a committee of 12 members; the library contains 800 volumes. Here is an extensive brewery, mineral water works and a steam flour mill. Straw plaiting is carried on here.
The charities for distribution amount to £12 13s 4d yearly, derived from 11 acres of land situated in the parish, and including a yearly sum of £3 5s 1d left in 1838 by Robert Pryor of Weston.
The Rev John George Cotton Brown MA JP of Walkern Hall, the Earl of Essex, who is lord of the manor, and Joseph Wright Ward and EN Ward esquires of London are the principle landowners
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 £3,743; the population in 1891 was 849.
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 & Telegraph Office and Savings Bank, & Annuity & Insurance Office: Daniel Pearman, postmaster. Letters through Stevenage, arrive at 7.25am; dispatched at 11.15am and 6.40pm, Sunday dispatched at 10.10am. Parcels are received & dispatched same time as the mails.
Wall Box (near rectory) cleared at 11am & 6.25pm; Sundays at 10am.
National School (mixed): erected by the late Rev JC Wright, rector here in 1830, an addition being made in 1852 by Mrs Harding; the school will hold 100 children; average attendance 65; the infant school was built in 1877 for 80 children; average attendance 67; Frank R Askew, master; Miss sarah J Askew, infants’ mistress; there is a residence attached.
Police Station: William Smith, constable in charge.
Tax Collector, JJ Symes, Aston
Carrier: to Hitchin & Stevenage – William Newberry on Tuesday returning same day
Private residents
Andrews Mrs
Bonfield Miss
Browne Rev John George Cotton Brown MA JP. Walkern Hall
Cannon Mrs John
Cannon Mrs Owen
Finch Collingwood F. Laurels
Franklin Thomas. Glebe cottage
Holland James
Pearman Mrs. Mizpah house
Phillpotts Rev Henry John MA. Rectory
Searle George Frederick. Capel house
Wright Samuel
Wright Mrs
Commercial
Aldridge John, bricklayer
Allison Joseph, saddler & shopkeeper
Camp Chas. carpenter. Providence cottage
Canning Marion (Mrs). White Lion PH
Canning Francis Richard, builder, contractor, carpenter & joiner
Cannon John, dealer in ready made boots & shoes
Carter George, bootmaker
Chalkley Frederick, beer retailer
Chittenden Wilfred, upholsterer & cabinet work in all its branches
Dearman Frederick, blacksmith
Dearman William, shoeing, machinist & general smith
Dilleigh [Dilley?] Emily (Mrs), shopkeeper
Estwick Thomas, brickmaker & farmer
Gazely Jonas, coachbuilder
Gray William, farmer
Green Walter, builder
Green William, furniture dealer & beer retailer
Harding Louisa M (Miss), day school
Keeling Alfred, butcher
Kitchener Ebenezer, grocer & tea dealer, draper, boot & shoe dealer & ironmonger
Kitchener John Elliot, baker
Library & Reading Room (WJ Thorpe & J Savage, hon secs)
Malin Thomas W, grocer & draper
Menhinick Alex., farmer Walkern Park
Meyer Adolphus J, beer retailer
Newberry William, blacksmith & Yew Tree PH
Pearman Daniel, baker, Post office
Pearman George David (Mrs), miller (steam & water). Walkern Mill
Pettengell Alfred, baker
Petitt William, plumber
Philips John, Red Lion PH
Porter Samuel, farmer, Finches farm
Porter Samuel jnr, farmer. Walkern Bury
Rowlatt Samuel Robert, farmer. Walkern Place
Savage John, bootmaker
Slow George, farm bailiff to Rev JG Cotton Brown MA JP
Stockbridge James Edward, baker
Thorpe William Jacob, painter
Titmuss Herbert, farmer. Rooks Nest
Tucker James, farmer. Bridgefoot farm
Victoria Brewery & Mineral Water Works (James Holland, brewer & manager)
Waldock George, boot & shoe maker
Walkern Band of Hope & Temperance Society (Joseph Allison, hon sec)
Walkern (Steam & Water) Mill (Robert Franklin, manager)
Ward George Smith LRCP Edin. Physician & surgeon & medical officer & public vaccinator, 55th district, Hertford union. Rose cottage
Warner Jas, house decorator & plumber & glazier
Watson John, gamekeeper to Rev JG Cotton Brown MA JP
Wright Samuel & Co, ale, stout & porter brewers & maltsters & aerated water manufacturers. Victoria brewery & mineral works
