England Census

 | Civil Registration | Church Records | Census Online Indexes

Introduction
A census is a statistical count of the population of a country taken for the purpose of accurate government representation, tax collection and military purposes. The first complete census in England was conducted in 1086 under William the Conqueror who was the first Norman King of England. As the new king, he wanted an accounting of land owners who held lands belonging to the crown along with the number of owned livestock. A detailed history of this survey is available online from History Magazine which was published in October/Nover 2001.

In England, the government census have taken place ever ten years since 1801, however, these earlier censuses were taken strickly for statistical purposes by the Overseers of the Poor and the clergy.

The first census listing people by name was taken in 1841 with the census traditionally being taken every ten years since then except for 1941 (due to WW II) along with the fact that the 1931 census was destroyed during WW II. Census records are generally released 100 years after they are taken. Because of this situation with 1931 and 1941 census records there will be a thirthy year gap. These records are one of the best ways to locate ancestors at a given place and time.

Although the 1841 census is of great value, it had some limitations. It was originally produced on blue paper and inscribed with pencil. Many of the original images on film were very poor but the digital quality has improved them. In the 1841 census, relationships were not given, the age of individuals older than 15 years was rounded down, and specific birthplaces were not provided. The 1851 census and subsequent censuses provide more detailed information, making it easier to find family members.

The percentages shown in the chart to the right are the percentage of increase in population since the previous census year.

Understanding the Census
Instructions to the census taker were to list only those persons who spent the night in each household when the census was taken. Those traveling, staying at boarding schools, or working away from home were listed where they spent the night. For example, night watchmen are often listed under their employer’s business address rather than with their families. Guy Etchells has assembled a collection of the official instructions given to enumerators for each census.

Be aware of the date of each census for family members as that will help in determining the birth year for family members as it is reported. The date that each census was taken is as follows:

1841 – June 7               1851 – March 31 1861 – April 8                1871 – April 3 1881 – April 4                1891 – April 6 1901 – April 1                1911 – April 2

The following information can be found in the censuses:

1841

 * Name of each member of the household
 * Sex/gender
 * Age (for adults 15 and up, the age was rounded down to the lower multiple of 5)
 * Address
 * Occupation
 * Whether or not the individual was born in the county in which they were living on June 6, 1841. (If it is ‘yes’, it is noted with “Y” and for ‘no’ it is noted with “N”.)
 * A column indicating if born out of the country, i.e. “S” for Scotland; “I” for Ireland

Only individuals in the home on the census night were listed on the forms with the exception of individuals working through the evening and returning home in the morning. If a family member was visiting they would be listed in that person's home. Note: Individuals who were staying in other locations were listed by the owner of the establishment and this included those who were living in tents.

There are missing sections which have been lost. A detailed listing can be found on findmypast.com.

This census was conducted by the Registrar General and has the identifying marks of "HO" which stands for 'Home Office'. The returns were sorted and copied into enumerator's books in the format seen today in the digitized online records.

1851* to 1901

 * Name of each member of the household
 * Sex/gender
 * Age – hopefully exact
 * Relationship to the head of the household
 * Condition – marital status
 * Occupation
 * Parish and county of birth (except foreign births, which usually gave country only)
 * The 1851 and 1861 censuses list whether a person was "blind, deaf, or idiot."
 * The 1871 and 1881 censuses list whether a person was considered an "imbecile, idiot, or lunatic."
 * The 1891 census added the number of rooms (if less than 5) that the family occupied. It also listed whether the person was an employer or an employee.


 * 1851: An additional census was taken of places of worship, this was a voluntary census and most places of Worship participated. This guide from The National Archives provides a better understand of the Ecclesiastical Census of 1851. Further information on this census is provided by F. Coakley.

A detailed listing of the changes made to the census over the years starting in 1841 can be found on the GENUKI website in the Census section. (Examples of Census - 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871) NOTE: Some of the websites have not yet updated their pages to include the 1911 census. Findmypast.comalso provides a comprehensive overview which is also very helpful.

The census can also provide a good approximation of date and place of deaths and marriages. Census records are used in combination with church records and civil registration records in locating ancestors.

1911 and later

 * Number of years in present marriage
 * Number of children born to mother
 * Number of children still living

Pre-1841 Census
The 1831 census was collated by the census office and the resulting Parish Register Abstracts form an important part of the published census material, because from it alone, the clergymen's manusript returns have survived. The records are held at The National Archives of the UK under 'Clergymen's returns of 1831' (HO71/1-HO71/124.) Detailed information on pre-1841 census records can be found in: Chapman, Colin R., Pre-1841 Censuses and Population Listings in the British Isles. Dursley, Gloucestershire, England : Lochin Publishing, 1998 (5th ed). (Family History Library book ) Pre-1841 censuses generally contain only numbers of individuals in a household, but some do contain individual names of the head-of-household.

Finding and Using Census Indexes
Many repositories, including the Family History Library, hold a number of indexes to the census records. They may be: • Original Census records from 1841-1891 • Surname Indexes • Street Indexes • Some remnants of 1801-1831 censuses that include names

Online
Several websites have now published online many of the census indexes and records from 1841-1901. There is only one site that provides access to the 1911 census on the internet at the present time. The sites are as follows: www.familysearch.org - 1881 census free www.genuki.org.uk – links to indexes www.ancestry.co.uk www.findmypast.co.uk  www.thegenealogist.co.uk

For the 1911 census: www.findmypast.co.uk

FamilySearch Historical Record Collections
Online collections containing these records are located in FamilySearch.org.

Wiki articles describing these collections are found at:


 * England and Wales 1841 Census, (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * England and Wales 1851 Census (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * England and Wales 1861 Census (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * England and Wales 1881 Census (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * England and Wales 1891 Census (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * England and Wales 1901 Census (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * England and Wales 1911 Census (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Finding and Using Census Records
Census records are more easily available than ever before. Caution should be used when searching them for family members. Never assume what isn’t there or “leap” generations in linking individuals.

Important Searching Points
A number of items need to be considered while searching census records for family members:


 * 1) Names may be misspelled – both Christian and surnames could have variant spellings.
 * 2) Ages and birthplaces may not be accurate – consider who was reporting the information.
 * 3) Relationships may not be expressed in terms understood today – regionally “in law” and “step” are  terms that have different meanings.
 * 4) Jurisdictions changed – as population grew and shifted, jurisdictions changed.
 * 5) People may not be where they are expected – a disaster or plague may have forced a family to move.
 * 6) Pages may be unreadable – use “zoom” and other enhancements on digital copiers.



Census details changed little from year to year. See a detailed listing of the changes made to the census over the years starting in 1841. At the GENUKI website you will find an excellent explanation of the census records and availability. (Examples of Census - 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871) NOTE: Many of the websites have not yet updated their pages to include the 1911 census.

Pre-1841 Census
The 1831 census was collated by the census office and the resulting Parish Register Abstracts form an important part of the published census material, because from it alone, the clergymen's manusript returns have survived. The records are held at The National Archives of the UK under 'Clergymen's returns of 1831' (HO71/1-HO71/124.) Detailed information on pre-1841 census records can be found in:


 * Chapman, Colin R., Pre-1841 Censuses and Population Listings in the British Isles. Dursley, Gloucestershire, England : Lochin Publishing, 1998 (5th ed). (Family History Library book )

Pre-1841 censuses generally contain only numbers of individuals in a household, but some do contain individual names of the head-of-household.

A [[Media:British_Census_Form.pdf|worksheet]] can be used to record information found in census records.