Deddington History - Jackson's Oxford Journal & others 1820-1837

David French

LATE AND POST GEORGIAN DEDDINGTON
Transcripts of notices, advertisements and reports referencing the
Parish of Deddington
in
JACKSON'S OXFORD JOURNAL
and other newspapers during the reigns of
George IV (1820-1830) and William IV (1830-1837)

Introduction

Deddington was a small market town by contemporary standards throughout Georgian times serving the surrounding agricultural community. It lacked borough status, although it was characterised as a town and boasted a Town Hall. There was no predominant landowning family in the Parish, and the lords of the three manors were non-resident.

Geoffrey Smedley-Stevenson, in his introduction to the Risley Diaries, Part I 1835-1848,¹ describes Deddington as a decayed market town. There was little manufacturing industry in the Parish. The only industry was Mason's axle-tree factory in High Street, Franklin's builders, Emberlin's paper mill (failing) and a brick kiln.

The decennial national censuses began in 1801, although details of individuals did not begin to be recorded until 1841. The population figures recorded during the years 1801 to 1841 were:²

	1801	1811	1821	1831	1841
Deddington	1,172	1,296	1,404	1,590
Clifton	226	226	271	268
Hempton	154	128	172	220
Whole parish	1,152	1650	1847	2078	2025
Change		+6%	+12%	+12.5%	-53

The population of the Parish therefore grew at a steady rate during the first three decades of the 19th century, a cumulative increase of 34% between 1801 and 1831, but stagnated between 1831 and 1841, recording a net reduction of 53 inhabitants.³

During the period in question 1820-1837, the population of the Parish increased by a further 12.5% in the 1820s, but did not grow at all in the 1830s.

Interestingly, there was an inverse correlation between the rate of population growth and the number of property transactions during the same period. The average number of property transactions per year advertised in Jackson's Oxford Journal showed a marked increase in the 1830s (up to 1837) compared with the 1820s. See appendix in Property transactions.

The newspapers serving the area during the period 1820-1837 were Jackson's Oxford Journal (founded 1753) and the Oxford University and City Herald (founded 1806). The latter carried few references to Deddington. In February 1837 the Oxford City and County Chronicle commenced publication,⁴ and from July that year included weekly local news reports from a local correspondent in Deddington.

The hundreds of references to the Parish in Jackson's Oxford Journal during the period 1820-1837 are virtually all contained in notices and advertisements. Otherwise there are occasional references to births, deaths and marriages. There are virtually no news reports relating to Deddington, until those in the Oxford City and County Chronicle from July 1837, a notable exception being the account of the celebratory Conservative dinner following the 1837 election.

Several significant developments, such as Samuel Churchill's bankruptcy in 1827, the implementation of the new Poor Laws in 1835, and Deddington's first access to railway services in 1837 (see Coaching) are referenced in formal notices or (in the latter case) advertisements rather than in news reports.

The huge crowds drawn by the sermons of the Evangelical Revs. Greaves and Hughes in the 1820s (see Clergy), and the tragedy which befell the Deddington emigrants to Canada in 1832 (see Poor relief), find little reflection in the columns of Jackson's Oxford Journal.

Whilst not attracting much prominence in Jackson's Oxford Journal, there was, of course, a sizeable local community in the Parish of farmers, tradesmen and artisans, some listed in Piggott's Directory 1830, others in Robson's Commercial Directory 1839. Newspaper references to individual tradesmen often helpfully disclose their occupation. Tradesmen were not necessarily restricted to one particular trade, and commonly carried on other business activities when commercially expedient.

Despite the paucity of local news concerning the Parish before July 1837, the notices and advertisements contain sufficient information to provide a glimpse of life in Deddington around the close of the Georgian era, albeit largely from the perspective of the gentry and professional classes who comprised its readership.

It should be noted that for the purposes of the current project no specific research has been undertaken into sources other than Jackson's Oxford Journal, with the exception of the Oxford City and County Chronicle July-December 1837, the Risley Diaries 1836-1837 and Samuel Churchill's bankruptcy papers, nor in respect of the period subsequent to 1837. This must await a separate project or projects. Certain of the information may therefore be subject to revision in due course.

¹ See 'Early Victorian Squarson - The Diaries of William Cotton Risley, Vicar of Deddington, 1835-1848', edited by Geoffrey Smedley-Stevenson, The Banbury Historical Society, Vol. 29, 2007.
² 'Comparative account of the population of Great Britain in the years 1801, 1811, 1821, and 1831 : with the annual value of real property in the year 1815 : also, a statement of progress in the inquiry regarding the occupations of families and persons, and the duration of life, as required by the Population Act of 1830', page 209. Census Office, 1831.
³ The population of the Parish recorded in 2021 was 2,320.
⁴ Reflecting a subsequent change of title, listed as the Oxford Chronicle and Reading Gazette in the British Newspaper Archive.

How to access sources of information

There are links below to:

Transcripts of newspaper entries 1820-1837, which have been digitised by the British Newspaper Archive,⁵ containing references to Deddington, Clifton and Hempton:
1820-1824
1825-1829
1830-1837

Indices of inhabitants of Deddington, Clifton and Hempton identified in the above newspaper entries and their principal activities:
1820-1824
1825-1829
1830-1837

List of tradesmen and artisans in Deddington mentioned in the above newspaper entries:
1820-1837

⁵ Subscription required; monthly subscriptions available.
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/?msockid=28c081142abe64b23f5b97b82b6d6576

Particular Topics 1820-1837

In addition, articles discussing various aspects of social and economic life in late and post Georgian Deddington may be found in the below list (click on a Topic to download a pdf). They include selected transcripts of relevant newspaper items.

Clergy and preachers
Education
Poor relief
Deddington Inns
King's Arms and Edward Hatten
Deddington Association
Legal profession
Samuel Churchill's bankruptcy
Medical profession
Tradesmen, artisans and farmers
Property transactions
Coaching
Deddington Fairs
Turnpikes
1837 General Election

Links to other Jackson's Oxford Journals

JoJ 1753-1799

JoJ 1800-1819

JoJ 1850-1859