Frank,
I believe that some Devon parishes had bits in Cornwall (west of the
Tamar) in the 19th century. I think that Maker (across the river from
Stonehouse (now part of Plymouth) was one of these, and there was
another north of Gunnislake. Sorry the memory is so hazy, but it is a
very very long time since I last looked at the relevant maps. So that is
a region that where you might look to see what exactly happened and why
in this context.
Frank Sharman wrote:
> Does anyone know if any county boundaries changed in the early 19th
> century?
>
> I get the impression that county boundaries never changed. Parish
> boundaries did and you could end up with a parish split between two
> counties.
>
> I cannot think of any mechanism for changing county boundaries other than
> by statute. (The use of the royal prerogative would, surely, have been
> unacceptable by the 19th century). I can think of enclosure Acts which
> changed parish boundaries but I have never heard of one changing county
> boundaries. And I can find no general legislation doing it. In any event,
> I strongly suspect that in the early 19th century the county was not
> sufficiently important for anyone to worry about their boundaries. I would
> guess that the first time anyone did anything was when county councils were
> set up in 1888.
>
> Nevertheless Ivor Noel Hume tells me, in a current email correspondence,
> that the 1851 census refers to Alveley in Staffordshire, when everyone
> knows it is, and always has been, in Shropshire. Is it likely that the
> local inhabitants, and the census taker, were mistaken about what county
> they were in? Or did the boundaries in fact change?
>
> All advice and suggestions would be happily received. (The reason we want
> to know about this is that Noel is trying to get details of a large jug,
> made by a previously unknown maker in Bradley, near Bilston, and inscribed
> to another John Bacon, who appears to live in Alveley. Trying to track
> down this man when it is unclear where Alveley is, is proving tricky).
>
> With thanks and best wishes to all,
>
>
>
>
> Frank Sharman
> Wolverhampton
> 01902 763246
>
>
--
Chris Salter,
Oxford Materials Characterisation Service,
&
Material Science-based Archaeology Group,
&
Electron Microscopy Research Support Group,
Oxford University Begbroke Science Park,
Sandy Lane, Yarnton, Oxford, OX5 1PF
Tel 01865 283722, EPMA 283741, Mobile 07776031608
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