page_title: Broomfields, Bradford
section_title: Population and social class in Broomfields
hierarchical_section_title: Broomfields, Bradford / Population and social class in Broomfields
caption_attribution_description: English: Part of 1893 1:2500 OS map "Central Bradford" Broomfields area
context_page_description: Broomfields is a historic district on the south eastern edge of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. In 1840 it was still a mainly rural area with a population of only a few hundred people. By 1880 it was one of the most densely populated districts of Bradford with 1,500 houses, a population of about 8,000 and many commercial premises. In 1932 a process of slum clearance and commercial regeneration was started. Today the district is almost wholly given over to commercial premises and once again has a resident population of only about two hundred people.
context_section_description: In the 1801 census the population of the 4 townships which would become the borough of Bradford in 1847 was 13,264. In 1851 it was 103,774. In 1881 (when the townships of Bolton, Allerton and Tyersal had joined the borough) it was 183,032. Population expansion in Broomfields mainly took place in the 1851–81 period. As Broomfields was not an administrative area there are no separate census statistics for it. In 1841 the average Bradford household size was 5.2 persons – and remained at this level until the 1880s. By that date Broomfields had about 1500 houses, indicating a population of about 7,800 – before allowing for houses in multiple accommodation and lodgers.
  Richardson shows  that of the Bradford population of 103,774 in the 1851 census 694 (0.7%) were born foreigners or colonials, 9,587 (9.2%) were born in Ireland and 93,502 (90.1%) were born in Great Britain. In the middle decades of the century the Irish were concentrated in 8 densely settled areas around the town centre. One of these was the Bedford Street area of Broomfields which in 1861 contained 1,162 persons of Irish birth – 19% of all Irish born persons in the Borough. Richardson estimates that three quarters of the congregation of the Roman Catholic church of St Mary's were of Irish birth or descent. Although Irish immigration reached a peak in 1840 it continued at a high level through the middle decades and only declined towards the end of the century. Cudworth's statement that the catholic parish of St Anns had 2,500 members is probably an understatement.
  Writing of "the poverty stricken Irish" at the time of the 1851 census Richardson notes "The Irish came mostly from peasant backgrounds and were not welcome in 19th century Bradford. This as much as anything caused them to congregate in the established quarters. Their income status gave them little choice ..they occupied the lowest occupational groups"..."They made up 81% of the population of hawkers, 62% of  "other labourers" and 25% of the charwomen and washer women..." and 15% of the hand wool combers -"the average pay of this group was 7/- for a 60 hour week"..."Crowding was  more or less a necessity because rents were relatively high at two to four shillings a week for a workers cottage"..."Twenty two percent of the households occupied by the 9,687 Irish in 1851 were two or more family households; in 1861 fourteen percent were in this category".
  These statements well describe the situation of the Irish population of Broomfields
  The population of Broomfields was overwhelmingly working class. Middle class residents were confined to the dozen or so "fine houses" described earlier. The finest of these, Hall Field, with its 3-acre garden was demolished in the early 1850s and gave way to Sturges Street
  and Addison Street. All the other fine houses survived into the second half of the next century. In the 1860s Mr. Addison sold his house and it became the vicarage of St Luke's church.  Springfield Lodge was at that time occupied by Mr Ripley, a worsted manufacturer. In 1895 it became the Methodist Manse. No. 237 Hall Lane was occupied by the Bradford registrar of Births Marriages and deaths. Later in the century it was occupied by Alderman Wright, owner of licensed premises.  No. 235 Hall Lane was occupied by Mr. Mark Oddy, owner of the ropewalks. Woodsley House, no.205 Hall Lane was occupied by the Great Northern Railway's traffic manager. No.223 Hall Lane was the residence of  George Pearson, railway contractor and owner of the Broomfields Brickworks. Mr Pearson's contracting business developed into an international concern. He built the twin tunnels under the River Hudson in New York before moving his residence and company headquarters to London
  Dr. Samuel Lodge originated in Oxfordshire and in 1868 named his new house and surgery at No. 2 Hall Lane "Windrush House". He was already noted in his profession for his research into "wool sorter's disease" (Anthrax). As well as a general practitioner he was Bradford Police Surgeon in which position he developed high skills in forensic pathology. He retired 
caption: Fig. 7 Broomfields 1893. Detail from 1:2500 OS map showing dense working class housing
exif: {}