Carpenters

Census returns give the following people as carpenters living in Tharston:

1841: ALBOROUGH George - WRIGHT Luke - NEAVE John - HARVEY William - SMITH William

1851: DUFFIELD Edward - WRIGHT Luke - HARVEY William - ELMER Thomas

1961: WRIGHT Luke - WRIGHT Thomas - HOULY William - SMITH William

1871: NORTON Robert - ELMER Thomas

1881: CLAMP Henry - WRIGHT Thomas - SMITH

1891: SMITH Soloman

1901: None

1911: POTTER William - WARD Fred

The people named above actually have carpenter given as all or part of their occupation. It is noticable that the number of carpenters living in the village generally declines over time. Also, there are a few other named trades that might include working with wood and two people named as carpenter's apprentices. The Census returns are notoriously inaccurate in areas such as occupation but the numbers above show that it was an important trade within the village.

This is a picture from the Eastern Daily Press, July 1st 2011. It shows Mr. Thomas William Button, on the left, a Tharston carpenter who lived in Roseville on Chequers Road, building a wooden wagon with two workers. He had the local undertakers, carpenters shop and decorator business in a "shed" on the opposite side of the road. (Our Society chairperson helped to hand dig the foundation trenches for the bungalow his son built and lived in, next to Chequers Farm; the son reputedly having set fire to one of the "Tharston Oaks"!