Population - Cider - Education

In 1841 Membury parish recorded its highest population, 886.   From analysis of 1851 figures one can reckon that about 60% were born in Membury and another 30% within 10 miles; about half were dependant on agriculture.   The parish had three pubs in the early 19c. the Red Lion (along the main street, sign post evident), the Longbridge (to the north), on the coaching route of the old London to Exeter road, and there was one by the spring in Rock hamlet to the South;   There was no shortage of cider orchards in the parish in those days, and cider was widely drunk; it was sometimes used as payment in lieu of wages.

This was the case as recently as the 1920s when the oldest member of Membury (a man with a vast amount of local history in the farming community) states that that certainly was being done lieu of wages, on the odd occasion, when money was not available to pay the workers (s).

There is a house named Cider Barn in the village of Membury with tales of apple orchards in the vicinity it is just as likely that cider was supplied to local ale houses from these apple orchards) The pubs are all closed but there is no shortage of social activity, the village hall (see below) offers, pantos and summer shows, dinners, talks, meetings, private functions and is used by the ‘next door' village school built in 1876 (and much changed) on the site of a predecessor, opened over 150 years ago in 1726.

Web site address:  www.thelocalchannel.co.uk/memburylocalhistorysociety