Hannah Lea(h) 1861 census?

[ElizabethNield]

Hannah Lea, daughter of John Henry Lea and Martha Taylor, was born in Stockport, Cheshire, England in 1844. She's on the 1851 census with her family, and on the 1871 census with her husband Robert Nield and his family. But 1861 I can't find her. I've looked everywhere. Please help!

[gortonboy]

1861 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Back Inn Farm House, Mill Bank, Marton, Macclesfield, Cheshire, England

Peter Lawson Head Married Male 31 1830 Farmer Of 94 Acres 2 Lab Martin, Cheshire, England
Ellen Lawson Wife Married Female 25 1836 Farmers Wife Martin, Cheshire, England
Sarah A Lawson Daughter - Female 5 1856 Farmers Daughter Martin, Cheshire, England
Samuel Lawson Son - Male 3 1858 - Moston, Cheshire, England
William Lawson Son - Male 1 1860 - Moston, Cheshire, England
Hannah Lea Servant Unmarried Female 16 1845 General Servant Stockport, Cheshire, England
Sarah A Goodwin Servant Unmarried Female 14 1847 General Servant Bosley, Cheshire, England
Hugh Cliff Servant Unmarried Male 22 1839 Farm Servant Cheshire, England
Joseph Barnes Servant Unmarried Male 11 1850 Farm Servant Marton, Cheshire, England
James Lewis Servant Unmarried Male 11 1850 Farm Servant Congleton, Cheshire, England

[ElizabethNield]

1861 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Back Inn Farm House, Mill Bank, Marton, Macclesfield, Cheshire, England

Peter Lawson Head Married Male 31 1830 Farmer Of 94 Acres 2 Lab Martin, Cheshire, England
Ellen Lawson Wife Married Female 25 1836 Farmers Wife Martin, Cheshire, England
Sarah A Lawson Daughter - Female 5 1856 Farmers Daughter Martin, Cheshire, England
Samuel Lawson Son - Male 3 1858 - Moston, Cheshire, England
William Lawson Son - Male 1 1860 - Moston, Cheshire, England
Hannah Lea Servant Unmarried Female 16 1845 General Servant Stockport, Cheshire, England
Sarah A Goodwin Servant Unmarried Female 14 1847 General Servant Bosley, Cheshire, England
Hugh Cliff Servant Unmarried Male 22 1839 Farm Servant Cheshire, England
Joseph Barnes Servant Unmarried Male 11 1850 Farm Servant Marton, Cheshire, England
James Lewis Servant Unmarried Male 11 1850 Farm Servant Congleton, Cheshire, England

Wow, thank you!! That's amazing - what a lot of servants the Lawsons had...So Hannah was 16 and a "general servant"? Can anyone tell me what exactly that would mean? I'm wondering where the Lawsons would have got servants like Hannah, it's not like they could go on the internet and look! How far was (is?) Marton from Stockport?

[Suekilp]

Farmers were relatively rich in those days and general servant would probably have been a house servant, rather than a dairy maid or similar. The "farm servants" would have been `Ag Labs' who actually lived with the family - milking or ploughing etc. And 94 acres is a fairly substantial farm The farm servants probably earned peanuts because they got accommodation. Actually the 11 year olds probably just got to be grateful to be fed. Their parents probably let them go to be "farm servants" because they couldn't afford to feed them themselves. The younger girl servant probably helped with the babies.

[ElizabethNield]

Farmers were relatively rich in those days and general servant would probably have been a house servant, rather than a dairy maid or similar. The "farm servants" would have been `Ag Labs' who actually lived with the family - milking or ploughing etc. And 94 acres is a fairly substantial farm The farm servants probably earned peanuts because they got accommodation. Actually the 11 year olds probably just got to be grateful to be fed. Their parents probably let them go to be "farm servants" because they couldn't afford to feed them themselves. The younger girl servant probably helped with the babies.

That's amazing - and sad, for the 11 year olds. Would 16 year old Hannah have been sent because her parents couldn't afford to feed her as well? I hope that she and the younger girl, Sarah Goodwin, were able to be friends. It seems like they'd want the company, away from home like that...

[Suekilp]

I think in the mid 1800s that once they passed toddlerhood kids from very poor families were pretty much expected to be able to either work towards the family income or leave so they weren't a drain on it. My ancestors were predominantly urban, and in the early 1800s worked in the mill from the age of four until after the Factories Acts which allowed them to start at a later age, be half-timers (working half the day in the mill and spending the other half at school) and get an education. Thinking about it Hannah and Sarah probably did have some farm duties so would have had to get up at the crack of dawn, empty last night's ashes, black the fire grates, light fires, heat water for people to get washed, make breakfast and a lunchtime snack for the menfolk (including the 11 year olds) and the rest of the family, collect eggs, milk cows, clean the house, do the laundry, churn the butter, make the cheese, help with the children, cook the main meals etc. etc. I think it was a hard life, but yes, hopefully the servants got some friendship and support from each other.

[Suekilp]

They probably got one day or half-day a month off to visit their families (or go courting )