Taken from CFHS transcriptions on 20-27^th March 2003.

Notes on the 1851 census:
It was taken on the night of 30/31^st March 1851 to include those occupants of a particular address over that night and also night workers who would be returning home on the morning of 31^st March.

Heads of families filled out the information or the enumerator did it for them if they could not read/write. In Prisons etc. the person in charge filled out the information.

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John and Sarah Fynn do not appear in this census as they had both died since the previous one.

William and Susan Fynn: William was John Fynn’s eldest son. The census shows his address to be 23 Green Street, St Michael. William and Susan married in 1826 and this census confirms other research that they had no children. The entry reads:

As Susan’s maiden name was Haselgrove, the children could be from a married sister of either Susan or William.  In the 1841 census (Extracts of 1841 Census)Emma and an Ann Case (15yrs) were not listed as relatives but as ‘apprentices’. See also Case Family. Susan died a few months after this 1851 census  To see what the house looks like today, go to 23 Green Street.  Use the "Back" button to return to this page

William and Martha Fynn: This ‘cousin’ family has changed little other than increased in number and moved a few doors down the road in the 10 years since the previous census. Some of the information given in the 1851 census gives us a clue to the history of the family. The entry reads (in the order given in the transcript):

   
As mentioned in the comments on this family in the 1841 census, we can assume that Elizabeth’s sister is Sarah Coe. Therefore Elizabeth is the Elizabeth Coe that married Benjamin Fynn in 1805. I had always thought (I still have nothing to the contrary) that Benjamin died in 1808 in St Botolphs, at the age of 24. Robert Fynn, mentioned elsewhere, born in 1809 could just be his son but William, born in c.1815? In the 1841 census William was shown as having been born out of the county. In this census he is shown as being born in Cambridge. There is no record of it – so far.  See also Update news for more anecdotal information on Elizabeth Coe.

Mary Ann Fynn: I still don’t know for sure who this Mary Ann is. She was born c.1841. I have found a Mary A. Fynn born in St Andrew Less in 1841. Two Fynn families were living in St Andrew Less I 1841: William and Martha and Robert and Eliza. The latter family already had a surviving daughter, Mary Ann born in 1837 so I tend to suggest William and Martha. But why should she be living away from home at age 10 years? The full entry reads:

Robert and Eliza Fynn: Again this family has always been listed as a ‘cousin’ family. Robert was born in 1809 and so could just be a son of Benjamin and Elizabeth. In 1851 they appear in the entry for The County Goal, Castle Street, Chesterton. In 1841 he had been a Police Sergeant but is now a ‘Turnkey’. The person who filled out the form (probably the Governor) lists Robert as a ‘servant’. The entry reads:

Also listed at the Goal were a number who had "Dt" or "Cr" after their names. One guesses that the inmates were distinguished as either Debtor or Criminal prisoners. I am also guessing that Robert had been at the prison at least the 6 years since Eliza’s birth. Was there some sort of transfer between police and prison services?

Robert and Mary Fynn: Robert we take to be the son of John ‘Porter’ Fynn. The spelling has reverted to Fynn. In the 1841 census they were living with Joseph Adcock an Ostler. By 1851 they had moved to Earl Street but again we have no number. (In 1881 they lived at number 7 Earl Street.) As with ‘cousin’ William above, Robert was shown on the 1841 census as having been born outside the county but this entry reads:

Thomas Cowling and Maria Martha Fynn: This family appears on its first census. (Thomas was listed with John Fynn at Corpus Christi on the previous one.) The entry reads:

My Great Grandfather appears in the entry by one month and Maria Martha has her sister staying. To see what the house looks like today, go to 10 Parker Street.  Use the "Back" button to return to this page.

Page last updated 29th May 2010