The National Distribution of Littlefairs in Earlier Times

Distribution Details

I did an exercise for a period late 1500's, early 1600's looking at the earliest Littlefair Church records on the International Genealogical Index. The following numbers of entries were found and at the given locations :-
Durham 50, Leicestershire 5, Yorkshire at Wensley (Near Leyburn) 5, Nottingham 4, Lincoln 2.
Note that in this period there are no records in Lancashire or Northumberland and in Yorkshire there are only those at Wensley. As an aside and of interest the Nottinghamshire entries included a Willius (William) Littlefare who was Sheriff of Nottingham in 1603/4 and his son of the same name who was Sheriff in 1624/5. In a later period (1949/50 ) a Joseph Littlefair did the job.

I did a similar but extended exercise for the period 1700 to 1820 that produced the following entries :-
Durham 253 , Yorkshire 88, Leicestershire 18, Northumberland 14, London 13, Warwickshire 6, Lancashire 5, Nottinghamshire 3, Westmorland 1 and Stafford 1.

There were now some, but not many, Littlefair records in Lancashire. Those in Yorkshire were no longer at Wensley but at the following locations. Grinton 32, Marrick 2 (both near Reeth and slightly north of Wensley), Dent 17, Thornton in Lonsdale 17, Ingleton 3 (all to the West of Wensley beyond Hawes and on the then western boundary of North Yorkshire), Sheffield 4, Leeds 2 (to the South of Wensley) and to the east and coast - 5 at Whitby and single entries at Loftus, Coxwold, Hutton Magna, Stanwick St John , Arncliffe and Fylingdales. Remember these are numbers of entries recorded in Church registers over a 120 year period. Remember these numbers are not numbers of people, they are numbers of Church records with the name Littlefair or it's like.

In 1871 some nine Littlefairs were listed as Landowners in the North Riding with acreages from 2 to 150 and in locations from Great Ayton to Penrith. Three were at Reeth( 2 called James). James seems to have been a very popular Littlefair name in Yorkshire but not in Durham.

The 1881 British Census includes 446 Littlefairs of which 196 are in County Durham, 89 in Lancashire, 59 in Yorkshire, 48 in Northumberland, 28 in the old County of Westmorland and the rest spread over a number of Counties and Areas including Scotland and Surrey. The Durham Littlefairs had spread to Northumberland, the Yorkshire Littlefairs were in Lancashire and multiplying.

The 1901 Census of supposedly every man, woman and child in the country was still far from perfect as, for example, Littlefairs, that we have knowledge of, are not listed. The Census lists a total of 594 Littlefairs and gives data by area of residence and then by locality. Of the 230 Littlefairs, listed in the 1901 Census as resident in Durham, some 92 had occupations and these I detail for perusal, but without comment, in the Section entitled At Work in 1901.

To illustrate the Northern roots of Littlefairs I have placed the figures mentioned above on four National Maps of historic Counties as follows:-

Map 1 Numbers of Littlefair Church records for late 1500's /early 1600's

Map 2 Numbers of Littlefair Church records for period 1700 to 1820

Map 3 Numbers of Littlefairs in the 1881 Census data

Map 4 Numbers of Littlefairs in the 1901 Census data

 

Distribution Summary

The Littlefairs were a Northern Family with substantial early roots in County Durham. Lesser roots were to be found in Lincoln, Leicester, Nottingham and at Wensley in Yorkshire. Durham Littlefairs and Wensley Littlefairs were the two growth groups.

The Wensley Littlefairs spread out. A few moved South and a similar number moved East to the North Yorkshire moors and coast. Some moved North where they had a community at Reeth. The majority spread westward to places south of Kendal. By 1901 the latter groups numbers had grown and they had moved into Lancashire where they worked, many as Weavers, in the Cotton Mills of Blackburn, Burnley , Darwen and Preston. At Warrington they worked in Iron Works and Forges.

The Durham Littlefairs, in the late 1500's, were in Durham City and multiplying. They had an early presence at Bishopwearmouth and in the 1600's there are records of Littlefair families at Chester le Street, Gateshead and Newcastle and minor references at other locations in the area. In the late 1600's many of these families seem to die out. Was it the plague? I do not know. The exception was in the parish of Cockfield where Littlefairs survived and where by the 1700's they were thriving and multiplying. In the 1800's they were again on the move and now into all parts of Durham County and into Northumberland - finding work in farming, mining and railways. It is only in the latter years of the 1800's that you find them in the Industrial areas of Darlington, Stockton, Hartlepool and Sunderland. Durham Littlefairs, were no different to anyone else. To survive, and in some cases prosper, they had to move to areas of work. The 1901Census extract of Littlefair workers in County Durham (see above ) confirms that Littlefairs were located and working in the growing industrial areas of County Durham. Other Littlefairs had by this time moved out of the County and were working in the industrial areas of Newcastle, Nothumberland and Middlesbrough.