By 1800 the industrial revolution was
well under way and the wars against France had begun.. The first years
of the century were a period of famine and food riots. There were huge
increases in food prices, but the south and east of Essex benefitted
from the stationing of troops, at places like Danbury Common,to counter
the threat of French invasion. In mid century the new railways had made
travel and movement of goods much easier and brought alternative employment
to places like South Ockendon. As the railways spread the stage coaches
ceased to operate, especially over longer distances, and the the turnpike
roads were neglected. By the end of the century industrialisation and
farm mechanisation had cut down the need for large farm labour forces
and reduced the need for village blacksmiths. In the last quarter of
the century the import of cheap corn from America and refrigerated meat
from South America and Australasia contributed to a depression in farming.
Bad weather throughout 1878-80 added to the problems and scores of established
farming families failed, causing farmers to be bankrupt and farm workers
to be unemployed. Many migrated to the industrial north or overseas
to America. or Australasia.
Braintree
There seem to be fewer of the Collis family left in Braintree in the
nineteenth century but they included. Samuel(b.1790) who was a cabinet
maker and the 1848 White's Directory shows John Collis, a basket maker,
in the High Street and Thomas (b.abt 1791), a boot and shoe maker, at
Giffins End. In a fifty year period (1813 to 1863) there were just 25
Collis burials in Braintree churchyard. Among them was John (born 1765)
who died in 1835 aged 70, after thirtysix years as parish clerk.