Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

Sarah Catherine Newman

1820 –02/04/1904

Daughter of farmer who herself became head of household at New House farm.

Relatives

Elizabeth Newman — mother

Noah Newman — father

• Melanie Hilton

Plot 114: Sarah Catherine Newman (1820-1904)

Sarah Catherine Newman was the second child of farmer Noah Newman and his wife Elizabeth (née Stevens) who lived at Castle Farm (now a pair of cottages known as The Keep and Pear Tree Cottage) at Berkhamsted Place with the first daughter, Anne (b. 1819).

Sarah was born on 8^th December 1820 and baptised at St Peter’s on 22^nd May the next year.

She was joined by two more sisters – Martha (b.1823) and Kate (1833) and they are all recorded on the 1841 census along with four servants living-in.

The 1851 census shows both Catherine (inaccurately shown as being 25 and not 30) and her sister Kate (correct age given) living with their unmarried uncle Joshua Newman at Bayford Hall Farm, the home farm for Bayfordbury, a large estate outside Hertford. There were three young male agricultural labourers also living at the farm. This is difficult to interpret: Sarah and Kate are not shown as visitors, although of course they might have been. Or they may have been temporarily looking after their uncle who was not keeping a housekeeper or any domestic staff.

Both Sarah’s parents died in 1860 – Elizabeth in January and Noah in December. In April 1861 Sarah is described in the census as the head of household at New House Farm, Berkhamsted Place. Her occupation is given as “None”, although farming was clearly being carried out – five male “farm servants” are shown as living there. Her age is given as 38 and not 40.

Her sister Kate, who married farmer Joseph Chennells in 1857, was visiting with her baby daughter and Sarah was employing one live-in female house servant.

The 1871 return for Joseph and Kate Chennells, then living in Rugby, shows a visitor, Sarah C Newman giving a year of birth as 1837 and place of birth as Rutland. Ten years later Kate Chennells had been widowed and her sister, Sarah C Newman, of independent means, was visiting her in Woking This time her place of birth is shown correctly, but her date of birth is given as 1841. These cannot all be transcription errors – Sarah clearly had a problem admitting to her true age. On the other hand Kate has also taken ten years off her own age!

The 1901 census finds Sarah and Kate living together in the small village of Alkham, five miles west of Dover. Both are described as “living on own means” and both have given wildly inaccurate ages. Kate who was 68 describes herself as 50 and Sarah, then 81, has blithely informed the enumerator that she was 46.

(Although the wildly inaccurate dates of birth would normally make one doubt that this was the correct person, other evidence of the relationship between the various people in the census returns make it clear that they do relate to the same Sarah Newman.)

Sarah died at 186, Folkestone Road, Dover on 2^nd April 1904 and was buried with her parents at Rectory Lane on the 7^th April. Her nephew, Kate’s son Noah Newman Chennells, was named as her executor.

Noah Newman

d.08/12/1860

Farmer at Castle Farm, by Berkhamsted Place.

Relatives

Elizabeth Newman — wife

Sarah Catherine Newman — daughter

• James Moir

The Newman Family occupied the farmhouse (now The Keep and Pear Tree Cottage) for Castle Farm at Berkhamsted Place.

In the Tithe Award of 1839 (above), Plot 310 is described as: ‘House and Garden (0.0.28 perches) occupied by Noah Newman and owned by ‘The Queens Most Excellent Majesty in Right of Her Duchy of Cornwall’. At this time, the house faced north-east, linked to the associated farm buildings (including the Great Barn) the majority of which have now been converted to residential use. (Plot 31,  described as ‘Buildings and Fold Yard’ (0.2.7)  In addition, Plot 309 comprised a Paddock, Road and Pond (0.2.33), 315 was the Stack Yard (0.1.36), and 316 an ‘Orchard’ (0.2.12) All of the above were occupied by farmer Noah Newman.

The 1841 Census records that Noah aged 50 and his wife Elizabeth (nee Stevens) were living in the house (then called Castle Farm) with four daughters (Ann, b.1819[1]; Sarah, b. 1820[2], Martha b.1823[3] and Kate, b.1833[4].  There were 4 servants (3 male, 1 female) living in the house (presumably occupying the attic bedrooms) and possibly a visitor Ann, aged 35.[5]

In 1851, Noah was still at Castle Farm, but now only with his wife. There were five house servants aged between 14 and 24. The farm was described as being 310 acres with Noah employing 14 labourers.

Noah passed away in 1860[6] aged 71 and was buried in Rectory Lane Cemetery. Probate was granted in January 1861, Noah’s effects being valued under £3,000. He had married Elizabeth in 1818 and it is therefore probable that he occupied the farmhouse for 42 years, their first daughter being born at Berkhamsted in March 1819.  Typical of farming family life cycles, the Newman household swelled in the early years of occupation, with the birth of 5 daughters. There were at least 11 people residing or staying in the farmhouse in 1841.

At the end of that cycle, the 1861 Census records that Noah’s unmarried daughter Sarah  (pretending she was 38 rather than 40) was occupying the house with 5 male farm servants and one female house servant (all aged 14-19).  Sarah is the only child to be buried with her parents in Rectory Lane Cemetery. There were no sons to inherit. After the Newman’s occupation came to an end, a new farmhouse (now converted to flats) was built to the north-east,  Noah’s former farmhouse was re-modelled and re-orientated to face south-east, becoming  a cottage (later in the C19th further sub-divided to form a pair of cottages) to house staff serving Berkhamsted Place.

Dr James Moir
21/4/16

[1] Ann b. 2/3/19, bap 27/4/19

[2] Sarah Catherine b. 8/12/20, bap. 22/4/21

[3] Martha b. 12/4/23, bap 7/8/23.

Also: Elizabeth Stevens, b Mar 1827 and bap 5/8/27;

[4] Kate bap 25/1/33

[5] The sizeable, mature family with only daughters living at home and entertaining visitors – including visitors from the mansion – would all justify assigning the addition of the parlour extension during Noah’s tenancy.

[6] 8 December 1860. His wife Elizabeth had died 23 Jan 1860.

Elizabeth Newman

d.23/01/1860

Wife of farmer Noah Newman, buried with her husband and daughter

Relatives

Noah Newman — husband

Sarah Catherine Newman — daughter

• James Moir

The Newman Family occupied the farmhouse (now The Keep and Pear Tree Cottage) for Castle Farm at Berkhamsted Place.

In the Tithe Award of 1839 (above), Plot 310 is described as: ‘House and Garden (0.0.28 perches) occupied by Noah Newman and owned by ‘The Queens Most Excellent Majesty in Right of Her Duchy of Cornwall’. At this time, the house faced north-east, linked to the associated farm buildings (including the Great Barn) the majority of which have now been converted to residential use. (Plot 31,  described as ‘Buildings and Fold Yard’ (0.2.7)  In addition, Plot 309 comprised a Paddock, Road and Pond (0.2.33), 315 was the Stack Yard (0.1.36), and 316 an ‘Orchard’ (0.2.12) All of the above were occupied by farmer Noah Newman.

The 1841 Census records that Noah aged 50 and his wife Elizabeth (nee Stevens) were living in the house (then called Castle Farm) with four daughters (Ann, b.1819[1]; Sarah, b. 1820[2], Martha b.1823[3] and Kate, b.1833[4].  There were 4 servants (3 male, 1 female) living in the house (presumably occupying the attic bedrooms) and possibly a visitor Ann, aged 35.[5]

In 1851, Noah was still at Castle Farm, but now only with his wife. There were five house servants aged between 14 and 24. The farm was described as being 310 acres with Noah employing 14 labourers.

Noah passed away in 1860[6] aged 71 and was buried in Rectory Lane Cemetery. Probate was granted in January 1861, Noah’s effects being valued under £3,000. He had married Elizabeth in 1818 and it is therefore probable that he occupied the farmhouse for 42 years, their first daughter being born at Berkhamsted in March 1819.  Typical of farming family life cycles, the Newman household swelled in the early years of occupation, with the birth of 5 daughters. There were at least 11 people residing or staying in the farmhouse in 1841.

At the end of that cycle, the 1861 Census records that Noah’s unmarried daughter Sarah  (pretending she was 38 rather than 40) was occupying the house with 5 male farm servants and one female house servant (all aged 14-19).  Sarah is the only child to be buried with her parents in Rectory Lane Cemetery. There were no sons to inherit. After the Newman’s occupation came to an end, a new farmhouse (now converted to flats) was built to the north-east,  Noah’s former farmhouse was re-modelled and re-orientated to face south-east, becoming  a cottage (later in the C19th further sub-divided to form a pair of cottages) to house staff serving Berkhamsted Place.

Dr James Moir
21/4/16

[1] Ann b. 2/3/19, bap 27/4/19

[2] Sarah Catherine b. 8/12/20, bap. 22/4/21

[3] Martha b. 12/4/23, bap 7/8/23.

Also: Elizabeth Stevens, b Mar 1827 and bap 5/8/27;

[4] Kate bap 25/1/33

[5] The sizeable, mature family with only daughters living at home and entertaining visitors – including visitors from the mansion – would all justify assigning the addition of the parlour extension during Noah’s tenancy.

[6] 8 December 1860. His wife Elizabeth had died 23 Jan 1860.