THE BRITISH CENSUS

Dates of each Census taken in Britain from 1841 - 1891 were:

• 1801 - 10 March
• 1811 - 27 May
• 1821 - 28 May
• 1831 - 30 May
• 1841 - 6 June
• 1851 - 30 March
• 1861 - 7 April
• 1871 - 2 April
• 1881 - 3 April
• 1891 - 5 April

1801 - 1831 Censuses

The censuses of 1801, 1811, 1821 and 1831 were confined to the counting (by parish) of inhabited and uninhabited houses; families; men and women; occupations (in broad categories) and various statistics about baptisms, marriages and burials. Some details of age were taken in 1821 and a more extensive investigation into occupations was made in 1831. The names of individuals were not recorded in the official returns.

1841 Census

The information collected in respect of each person included full name; age; sex; and occupation. For children under 15, ages were given exactly (if known): for people over 15 ages were rounded down to the nearest five years. For example, someone of 64 would appear as 60; another individual of 29 would be shown as 25. Some information relating to the place of birth was also given, but was restricted to whether or not a person was born in the county of residence (Y for Yes, N for No), and if not, whether in Scotland (S), Ireland (I), or foreign parts (F). The relationships between members of the same household were not recorded, but can often be inferred.

1851-1891 Censuses

These censuses recorded the full name; exact age; relationship to head of household; sex; occupation; parish and county of birth; and various medical disabilities for every individual. The 1891 returns contain additional information on employment status, and, for Wales, on the language spoken. Individuals were recorded in the households and houses in which they lived.

Later Returns

Later returns for England, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are not yet open to the public. For the 1901 returns only, direct descendants or next of kin (if the person has died childless) may apply to the Registrar General for the age and place of birth of a named person. A precise address must be provided and a fee will be charged. The 1901 census will be made available to the public in 2002.

 

Consulting the Census

Records for the Census for England and Wales can be consulted at the Family Records Centre, 1 Myddleton Street, London EC1R 1UW, in larger libraries and at County Record Offices on microfilm. It should be born in mind, however, that local resources such as libraries are only likely to hold the Cenus Records that apply to their own immediate area of interest - and even then its possible that not all years will be held.

An index of the 1881 Census produced by the Federation of Family History Societies and the Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormons), copied from the original 1881 Census Data, has been compiled and is available on microfiche. There are separate indexes by Surname, Birthplace, Census Place and Enumerators List (ie in the order that they appear in the Census. The same data has also recently been made available on CD Rom for purchase by the general public. A partial Census for 1851, containing returns for Devon, Norfolk and Warwick has also been released on CD ROM by the LDS and, like the 1881 Census, is available for purchase by mail order.