Apologies for not coming back to this but I have been busy. My knowledge about the standards of literacy of the general population in the 1860's comes from three years research into the living conditions of the labouring class of Norfolk around the 1850-70 period. My sources include national reports as well as local records. If anyone wants more information, please feel free to contact me offsite. My research is for a proposed book to be published in the next few years. Glynn http://www.norfolk-tours.co.uk
Hi Glynn I would refer you to the Fifth annual report of the registrar-general Page xlix Available on Histpop http://www.histpop.org/ohpr/servlet/ Tables Proportion per cent. of males and females in each county signing the marriage register with marks (Pages xlix-l) (Marriages 1841) Eastern Counties Norfolk Signed the Marriage Register with Marks :- (by percentage) Men 42% Women 48% Mean 45% So 58% of men & 52% of women signed in 1841 Norfolk was not the worst by any means For England as a whole who made their mark Men 32.8% Women 48.79% Mean 40.73% So overall 59.27% of those marrying signed the register and that is in 1841 I can accept that pockets of the population, rural in particular would have a lower level of literacy, but again I would just say that taking a worse case scenario of half of the Norfolk percentage of 55% who signed, so nearly three in ten people were literate So what evidence do you have that it was far worse in 1861? Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) On 25/07/2014 10:23, Glynn Burrows via wrote: > Apologies for not coming back to this but I have been busy. > > My knowledge about the standards of literacy of the general > population in the 1860's comes from three years research into the > living conditions of the labouring class of Norfolk around the > 1850-70 period. My sources include national reports as well as local > records. > > If anyone wants more information, please feel free to contact me > offsite. My research is for a proposed book to be published in the > next few years. > > Glynn