Belchamp Walter in the 19th Century
When it comes to thinking about what it was like in the 19th century there maybe a few misconceptions. These relate to how the "working" people carried out their lives and how the landowners interacted with them. Far from being a Dickensian idyll where a "Scrooge" reforms and makes the lives of Tiny Tim's family something to make their existance tolerable, things were far different.
The 19th Century saw many changes in Belchamp Walter, the 18th Century and the Industrial Revelolution saw the shift from a largely domestic economy to one that embraced a wider world.
The manor of Belchamp Walter was owned by Thomas Ruggles fron 1741 until 1865. The manor was sold in 1741 but the manor house was retained by the Raymond Family.
Thomas Wright wrote his account of the History of Essex in respect to Bechamp Walter in 1831/36 relating information from a wide range of sources including the ancestors of the residents of the Hall from the 18th Century.
Belchamp Walter in the 19th Century could seem to be its "heyday". Much activity around the Church and the Hall. The Village Schools were built, however there was a "poor-house"/"workhouse" located in the village (need to confirm dates here).
We have the benefit of an active Press in this century.
However, I think that it could said that the times were "less than ideal" for the majority of the residents. While there were many "projects" on the go, some of these were not necessarily beneficial to the village
Thomas Ruggles was the de-facto "Lord of the Manor" for the first 65 years of the century. All legal and social disputes were "signed-off" by him. Manoral records from this time and from 1741 bear his signature and judgements.
The manor of Belchamp Walter was "recovered" by JSMR in 1865. This was after £250,000 (in 2022 pounds) was spent on "renovations" in the Church (only £181 was spent on building the New School House, £181 of the £735 [£735 is £100,000 in 2022)
Belchamp Hall and Mount Farm - 1897
William Cranfield - information obtained by correspondence