Upton Heath W.I.
1951 scrapbook Part 2
occupations businesses
and cost of living

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From the Parish Registers (1854-90) the chief occupations seemed to have been those of farmers, farm labourers, gardeners, nurserymen, and sometimes coachmakers and coachmen , indicating several large houses in the neighbourhood which gave work to most of the small village. Before the eighteenth century the few inhabitants were probably farmers, or worked on the farms or at the two Halls, Upton and Bache. During the eighteenth century there were roadworkers about whom the following extract dated 15th January, 1741, was. taken from the old Vestry Minutes Book;-

The Surveyors of the Highways "pd. to Charles Boswell"
for 12 roods of a cart pavement at one pound one shill. per rood - £12/12/0d
for 3 tuns of stones - £0/9/0d
for 12 loads of rough stone and 2 loads of Border stones - £0/8/0d
for teames of labourers - £0/15/0d
for carrying paveing stones 1 day - £0/4/0d

The Mill sandpits and brickyard provided employment as they developed.
During the nineteenth century came big changes. After the Mental Hospital was built in 1829, Upton provided workers there as nurses or domestics. Another source of work was opened to the village when, in 1840, the Chester and Birkenhead railway was made and Dickson's Nursery started. In the twentieth century came the Zoo and as the village grew there were many other occupations and many more worked in Chester instead of locally on the farms and in the large houses, until to-day, when the majority, living here, work in Chester or further afield.

For an insight into the changing cost of living since the mid1700s.