Christmas RANDELL 1840
In 1851, the English Census lists 238 people named Christmas. Of these, 168 were born in Norfolk and a further 12 in Suffolk. The combination of both counties produced only six females called Christmas. Of the 58 people baptised Christmas outside these two counties, significantly over half were female.
Christmas Randell was born Christmas Day 1840. He was the fourth child of William Hunter Randell and Elizabeth Moore. He was first recorded as five month old baby living in Cock Street, North Walsham in the 1841 census.
The following census finds him again in the company of his family but the subsequent 1861 census shows him living alone with his recently widowed mother. During this period he was a carpenter, the same occupation as his father. His father, William Hunter Randell died when Christmas was only 19.
In 1871 Christmas Randell was an Ostler at the New Inn in Aylsham, which was the birthplace of his mother. The New Inn was a significant coach stop for both Norwich and Holt and interestingly around this time a minor celebrity, Dick Feek, a horse breaker, had run the New Inn. By 1871 Feek had gone and John Watson was in charge, which may suggest, Christmas, was either filling Feek’s role or still employed from his days. The New Inn was demolished in 1955.
The circumstances of Christmas changed again in the following years. When he appeared in the 1881 census he had a new occupation, a new bride and a new interpretation of his name, which was now Christopher. He married Charlotte Hall in October 1874. Charlotte was the same age as Christmas and also came from North Walsham.
Christmas was described as a farm worker in both the 1881 and 1891 census. His final appearance in census record is as Christmas Randell, living in Nelson Street, North Walsham with Charlotte. Unfortunately, as they married relatively late, their marriage didn’t produce any children.
Christmas died in his fifties in 1895 in North Walsham. In an fascinating insight his cousin Frederick Randell paid for the funeral.
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Charlotte HALL 1841
Charlotte Hall married Christmas Randell in October 1874 when she was 35 years old. The marriage took place in North Walsham and this continued to be their home.
Charlotte’s birth had been recorded in North Walsham but her entire life prior to marrying Christmas had been played out in Bradfield which is a short distance north of North Walsham.
Charlotte was the eldest of seven children born to John and Mary Hall. John Hall was an agricultural worker, who during his years diversified as a 'bone' miller and a manure factory worker. This may have affected Charlotte's marriage prospects, as it appears bathing on a regular basis did not fully grip the public imagination until slightly later.
John Hall was not treated kindly by the census collectors, who on one occasion recorded his entire family, named only by initials and on a second occasion as the Hell family. In fact, the Hall family lived for many years next door to Bradfield Rectory, the transcribers inadvertently created the situation were the children of Hell were one step from salvation.
Charlotte was never recorded with any occupation and in 1901 was noted as “no occupation” which is a complete reversal of the earlier census that recorded her entire existence with a badly formed “C”.
Charlotte outlived Christmas by almost twenty years and died age 74 in North Walsham in 1914.
Christmas and Charlotte produced no children.
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