|
The Censuses
One of the primary resources to search are the Census Returns
of 1841 through to 1901. You can view these on a number of subscription
or pay-as-you-view websites; in local interest centres or the
library. The census returns are a unique insight into the lives
of the ordinary man, woman and child in every village, town or
city in England, Scotland and Wales. (Ireland is excepted because
a great percentage of their returns were destroyed by fire in
the early years of the 20th century). There had been earlier census
returns but they concentrated on statistics rather than on individuals.
No-one was obliging enough to be thinking, in 1801, that it would
be a really good idea to take a census just to help genealogists
200 years later! The 1841 census recorded names, location, approximate
age, occupation and whether or not they were born in the same
county as that in which they were at the time of the census. Subsequent
censuses were taken at intervals of 10 years and become available
for public access after 100 years, so that the next new census
the public see will be that of 1911 in 2011. These later censuses
provided much more information of value to the researcher because
places of birth were more specific, relationships to the head
of the household were included and the year of birth was specific
(in 1841 it had been rounded down to the nearest 5 except in the
case of children under the age of 15 when their actual age was
recorded). On various censuses there was additional information
about the size of the dwelling and disabilites suffered etc. Points
to keep in mind, though, are that we see the transcripts, not
the original forms; an unknown, but probably not inconsiderable,
number of households 'slipped the net'; indexes for searching
are liable to serious transcription errors as many of the returns
are damaged, faded or unreadable; finally, not all the returns
actually survived. Taking all these negative factors into account,
the returns are still a tremendously important resource for the
family historian. Not only do they provide clues to births, marriages
and deaths but they help to paint pictures for us of the lives
lived by our ancestors. For the majority of people life was harsh
and uncertain with high infant mortality; adults died at an early
age as a result of the conditions in which they lived; many children
worked from an early age; work was hard and hours were long; for
many the workhouse was often the only alternative at the end of
a long life.
Census Returns and the information that can be found on
each one.
A census has been taken every 10 years, from 1801 up to the last
one in 2001. The only exception was 1941, during the World War
2. The earlier censuses dealt only in numbers and not with individuals.
The fist census that helps the family historians in their search
for ancestors is that of 1841.
The administration of the censuses, from 1801 to 1831, was in
the hands of the Parish Overseers of the Poor. The administration
of the 1841 census, and subsequent ones, was carried out by the
Registrar General and the Superintendant Registrars.
Enumerators were employed to visit each household in their specified
district and hand out numbered forms (schedules) to each household.
Many people, at the time of the earlier censuses, were illiterate
and often the task of filling in the form fell to a friend or
the enumerator himself when he called back for it.
When you search the returns try to see an image of the original
pages, and not an abstract, in order to avoid any further transcription
errors. The returns can be viewed on-line on a number of subscription
or pay-to-view websites. Local History Centres or Libraries usually
hold copies of their local returns on either microfilm, microfiche
or cd and these can be viewed without a charge.
Although the census returns are relatively comprehensive they
are not absolutely complete. Some have been destroyed or damaged
so badly that they are illegible. Transcription errors are numerous.
Some people were missed - for various reasons. When searching
the name indexes consider every variation of spelling in case
the name has been mis-read or mis-spelled. Ditto for ages.
1841
date : 6th June 1841
> County/Civil Parish/Enumeration District.
> Description of Enumeration District
> On each page of the return:
> City or Borough and Parish or Township. (boxes to be filled
in as appropriate)
Columns:
> Place : (identifies the location of the building).
> Houses : 2 columns to identify Uninhabited or other building
& Inhabited. (a diagonal mark, in the appropriate column indicated
the existence of anotheer building)
> Names : 'of each person who abode therein the preceding night'
> Age and Sex (Ages were rounded down to the nearest 5 years
except for children of 15 years and under.)
> 'Profession, Trade, Employment or of Independent Means' (filled
in as appropriate)
> Where born : 2 columns. Whether born in same county (Y for
Yes, N for No). & Whether born in Scotland, Ireland or Foreign
Parts. (S for Scotland, I for Ireland and F for Foreign Parts)
.
Households within the same building were separated by a single
/ mark after the last name of the household. The last name of
the final household in the building was followed by a // mark.
The census is searchable by surname indexes.
1851
date : 30th March 1851
> County/Civil Parish/Enumeration District.
> Description of Enumeration District
> On each page of the return:
> Parish or Township; Ecclesiastical District; City or Borough,
Town, Village. (boxes to be filled in as appropriate)
> Columns:
> No. of householder's schedule (numerical progression)
> Name of Street, Place or Road and Name or No. of house.
> Name and Surname of each person who abode in the house on
the Night of 30th March 1851.
> Relation to head of family (eg wife, daughter, lodger, servant
etc.)
> Condition (whether married, single or widowed)
> Age and Sex (Age at time of census )
> Rank, Profession or Occupation (filled in as appropriate)
> Where born (usually town and county. If another country it
was often just the name of the country eg Scotland)
.> Whether blind or deaf and dumb.
Households were separated by a line across the page under the
last person in the household.
The census is searchable by surname indexes.
The 'unfilmed' census returns of 1851 : Many of the census
returns for parts of Manchester and Salford and some surrounding
districts were badly damaged by a flood whilst in storage and
before they could be filmed. A long term project was started,
in the early 1990s, to transcribe as much as was possible, using
modern technology and a great deal of patience and care. This
was successfully completed, last year, with a high rate of recovery.
These results can be viewed on cds or on a pay-to-view site at
http://www.familyhistoryonline.net, which is the website of the
Federation of Family History Societies.
1861
date :
7th April 1861
> County/Civil Parish/Enumeration District.
> Description of Enumeration District
> On each page of the return:
> Parish or Township; City or Municipal Borough; Municipal
Ward; Parliamentary Borough; Town; Hamlet or Tything &c; Ecclesiastical
District. (boxes to be filled in as appropriate)
> Columns:
> No. of Schedule (numerical progression)
> Road, Street &c., and no. or name of house
>Houses : 2 columns to identify Uninhabited or other building
& Inhabited.
> Name and surname of each person.
> Relation to head of family (eg wife, daughter, lodger, servant
etc.)
> Condition (whether married, single or widowed)
> Age and Sex (Age at time of census )
> Rank, Profession or Occupation (filled in as appropriate)
> Where born (usually town and county. If another country often
just the name of the country eg Scotland)
> Whether blind or deaf and dumb.
Households within the same building were separated by a single
/ mark after the last name of the household. The last name of
the final household in the building was followed by a // mark.
The census is searchable by surname indexes.
1871
date :
2nd April 1871
> County/Civil Parish/Enumeration District.
> Description of Enumeration District
> On each page of the return:
> Parish or Township; City or Municipal
Borough; Municipal Ward; Parliamentary Borough; Town; Hamlet or
Tything &c; Ecclesiastical District. (boxes to be filled in
as appropriate)
> Columns:
> No. of Schedule (numerical progression)
> Road, Street &c., and no. or name of house
>Houses : 2 columns to identify Uninhabited or other building
& Inhabited.
> Name and surname of each person.
> Relation to head of family (eg wife, daughter, lodger, servant
etc.)
> Condition (whether married, single or widowed)
> Age last birthday and Sex (Age at time of census )
> Rank, Profession or Occupation (filled in as appropriate)
> Where born (usually town and county. If another country often
just the name of the country eg Scotland)
> Whether : 1 Deaf-and Dumb; 2 Blind; 3 Imbecile or idiot;
4 Lunatic
Households within the same building were separated by a single
/ mark after the last name of the household. The last name of
the final household in the building was followed by a // mark.
The census is searchable by surname indexes.
1881
date :
3rd April 1881
> County/Civil Parish/Enumeration District.
> Description of Enumeration District
> On each page of the return:
> Parish or Township; City or Municipal
Borough; Municipal Ward; Parliamentary Borough; Town; Hamlet or
Tything &c; Ecclesiastical District. (boxes to be filled in
as appropriate)
> Columns:
> No. of Schedule (numerical progression)
> Road, Street &c., and no. or name of house
>Houses : 2 columns to identify Uninhabited or other building
& Inhabited.
> Name and surname of each person.
> Relation to head of family (eg wife, daughter, lodger, servant
etc.)
> Condition (whether married, single or widowed)
> Age last birthday and Sex (Age at time of census )
> Rank, Profession or Occupation
> Where born (usually town and county. If another country often
just the name of the country eg Scotland)
> Whether : 1 Deaf-and Dumb; 2 Blind; 3 Imbecile or idiot;
4 Lunatic
Households within the same building were separated by a single
/ mark after the last name of the household. The last name of
the final household in the building was followed by a // mark.
The census is searchable by surname indexes and also by street
addresses.
1891
date :
5th April 1891
> County/Civil Parish/Enumeration District.
> Description of Enumeration District
> On each page of the return:
> Administrative County; Civil Parish;
Municipal Borough; Municipal Ward; Urban Sanitary District; Town
or Village or Hamlet; Rural Sanitary District; Parliamentary Borough
or Division; Ecclesiastical Parish or District(boxes to be filled
in as appropriate)
> Columns:
> No. of Schedule (numerical progression)
> Road, Street &c., and no. or name of house
>Houses : 2 columns to identify Uninhabited or other building
& Inhabited.
> Number of rooms occupied if less than 5
> Name and surname of each person.
> Relation to head of family (eg wife, daughter, lodger, servant
etc.)
> Condition (whether married, single or widowed)
> Age last birthday and Sex (Age at time of census )
> Profession or Occupation (filled in as appropriate)
> Employer ( X to signify)
> Employed ( X to signify)
> Neither Employer Nor Employed ( X to signify)
> Where born (usually town and county. If another country often
just the name of the country eg Scotland)
> Whether : 1 Deaf-and Dumb; 2 Blind; 3 Lunatic, Imbecile or
idiot.
Households within the same building were separated by a single
/ mark after the last name of the household. The last name of
the final household in the building was followed by a // mark.
The census is searchable by surname indexes.
1901
date :
31st March 1901
> County/Civil Parish/Enumeration District.
> Description of Enumeration District
> On each page of the return:
> Administrative County; Civil Parish;
Ecclesiastical Parish; County Borough, Municipal Borough or Urban
District; Ward of Municipal Borough or of Urban District; Rural
District; Parliamentary Borough or Division; Town or Village or
Hamlet (boxes to be filled in as appropriate)
> Columns:
> No. of Schedule (numerical progression)
> Road, Street &c., and no. or name of house
>Houses : Inhabited.
>Houses : Uninhabited (2 columns: In occupation; Not in occupation)
> Building (ie not a dwelling)
> Number of rooms occupied if less than 5
> Name and surname of each person.
> Relation to head of family (eg wife, daughter, lodger, servant
etc.)
> Condition (whether married, single or widowed)
> Age last birthday and Sex (Age at time of census )
> Profession or Occupation
> Employer, worker or Own Account
> If working at Home
> Where born (usually town and county. If another country often
just the name of the country eg Scotland)
> Whether : 1 Deaf-and Dumb; 2 Blind; 3 Lunatic, 4 Imbecile,
feeble-minded
Households within the same building were separated by a single
/ mark after the last name of the household. The last name of
the final household in the building was followed by a // mark.
The census is searchable by surname indexes.
Of the many commercial websites offering search facilities for
the census records, for births, marriages and deaths in England
& Wales, WW1 service records and much more, then www.Ancestry.co.uk
is one of the more familiar names. It offers a pay-to-view option
or monthly/yearly subscriptions on various packages.
|
Featured Family History & Genealogy
Sites
|
Mllions
of Records, Millions of Answers. Ancestry.co.uk - Click
here 
. |
