The census is an invaluable resource, provided you can read it, and forms the backbone of any family research. This is a brief overview of each census taken in England and Wales, between 1841 and 1911, and its uses and comparitive limitations.
1841: taken 6th June
Includes: Street names, householder names, genders, ages (see limitations), occupations, whether born in England.
Limitations: Ages over 18 are rounded up to the nearest five, which can throw your age calculations right out. Street names are only given for large settlements. Generally difficult to read. No relationships between householders. No disability information. No place of birth information, although whether they were born in the county they lived in is included. Foreign births restricted to Scotland, Ireland or ‘Foreign Parts’.
1851 – taken 30th March, and 1861 – taken 7th April.
Includes: Street names, householder names, gender, marital status, relationship to Head of Household, ages, occupations, town of birth, limited disability classification.
Limitations: Street names are only given for large settlements. Pub names not always included on the 1851. Disabilities limited to ‘Blind’ or ‘Deaf/Dumb’.
1871 – taken 2nd April, and 1881 – taken 3rd April
Includes: Street names, householder names, gender, marital status, relationship to Head of Household, ages, occupations, town of birth, disability classification.
Limitations: Disabilities limited to ‘Blind’, ‘Deaf/Dumb’, ‘Imbecile or Idiot’ and ‘Lunatic’!
1891 – taken 5th April
Includes: Street names, householder names, gender, marital status, relationship to Head of Household, ages, occupations, town of birth, limited disability classification, employment status (employer, employed, neither), number of rooms occupied if less than five.
Limitations: Disabilities limited to ‘Blind’, ‘Deaf/Dumb’, and ‘Lunatic, Imbecile or Idiot’. No clarification of employment status if neither employed or employer, no indication of how many rooms occupied five or more.
1901 – taken 31st March
Includes: Street names, householder names, genders, relationship to Head of Household, marital status, ages, occupations, town of birth, limited disability classification, number of rooms occupied if less than five, employment status (either Employer/Worker/Own Account or Working From Home).
Limitations: Disabilities limited to ‘Deaf/Dumb’, ‘Blind’, ‘Lunatic’ or ‘Imbecile, Feeble Minded’. No indication of how many rooms occupied if five or more.
1911 – taken 2nd April
Includes: Street names, householder names, genders, relationship to Head of Household, marital status, ages. Employment status, occupation and within which industry. Town of birth, nationality. Limited disability classification and age when afflicted. Length of marriage, number of children born within that marriage, number of childen living/dead. Number of rooms occupied.
Limitations: Difficult to see surrounding neighbours without checking more census returns. Sometimes difficult to work out number of children born to parents who have remarried, or married after having children. Disabilities classified as ‘Deaf/Dumb’, ‘Blind’, ‘Lunatic’, or ‘Imbecile/Feeble Minded’.
And looking forward to the 1921 – taken 19th June
(to be released January 2022, I can’t wait)
Includes: Addresses, householder names, genders, relationship to Head of Household, marital status (including divorce for the first time), ages in years and months. Whether a child is orphaned or partly-orphaned. Employment status, occupation, within which industry and employer name. Place of education for children. Town of birth, and nationality. Number and ages of all living childen and stepchildren under 16.
Limitations: No disability information. No information on dead children. No information on housing type. This census was taken during holiday season, meaning that families may not be where you expect them to be!
There is also the 1939 war census. This was taken on 29th September 1939, for the purpose of issuing ration books. It holds name, sex, marital status, address, date of birth and occupation for every household member. I tend to find the 1939 is pretty poorly transcribed, and the addresses are vague, but it’s an invaluable stopgap between the 1911 and the present day.
Get in touch with me about your own family research questions on the Contact page above.
Sophie Michell 