Haslingfield Dynasties; The Changing Face of the Village

The Admissions Registers for the local school give an interesting insight into the changing face of the village between 1873 and 1980. Up until 1916, just 35 families (as indicated by family names) contributed 57.9% of the school’s intake. Each of these families contributed at least 10 pupils to the school between 1873 and 1916. The most impressive contribution was that of the Barnards, providing by themselves over 7% of the intake in this period (74 pupils). Other notable families in this respect were the Chandlers (30 pupils), Lawrences (27), Douglases (24), Newlings (21) and Halls (20). Yet by the next register, which covers the period 1917-1943, the picture had changed quite dramatically.

Fourteen of the 35 dynasties had apparently disappeared to other areas, and the remaining 21 now contributed only 22.5% of the school intake during this period. The Barnards managed a still-impressive 23 pupils, but of the rest only the Douglases, Jennings, Thompsons and Wings provided more than 10.

The change is even more dramatic in the next register, from 1943 to 1980. A further two families have ‘disappeared’, although the Lings, Giffords and Coxalls have ‘re-emerged’. Of the remaining families contributing over half the pupils up until 1916, they now only provide 10.5%, with only the Barnards, Bakers, Douglases, Flacks and Wings reaching double figures. The figures show the growth of Haslingfield from a self-contained and perhaps self-sufficient village into a community that has embraced large numbers from the outside world. Interesting to bear in mind, though, that in any class of over 25 in the school between 1873 and 1980, there was almost certain to be at least one Barnard!