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England Census: Further Information and Description: Difference between revisions

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The census takers were instructed to give the exact ages of children but to round the ages of those older than 15 down to a lower multiple of 5. For example, a 59-year-old person would be listed as 55. Not all census enumerators followed these instructions. Some recorded the exact age; some even rounded the age up to the nearest multiple of 5.<br>  
The census takers were instructed to give the exact ages of children but to round the ages of those older than 15 down to a lower multiple of 5. For example, a 59-year-old person would be listed as 55. Not all census enumerators followed these instructions. Some recorded the exact age; some even rounded the age up to the nearest multiple of 5.<br>  


Learn more about English censuses by taking the FamilySearch online lesson about [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Library/Education/frameset_education.asp?PAGE=education_research_series_online.asp%3FActiveTab=2 Census Records], and reading [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~framland/acts/1840CensusAct.htm A copy of the Act for Taking an Account of the Population of Great Britain [w10 August 1840]. <br>
Learn more about English censuses by taking the FamilySearch online lesson about [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Library/Education/frameset_education.asp?PAGE=education_research_series_online.asp%3FActiveTab=2 Census Records], and reading [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~framland/acts/1840CensusAct.htm A copy of the Act for Taking an Account of the Population of Great Britain [w10 August 1840].
 
<br> Enumerators recorded information in varying ways. Here are some of them.<br>
 
*Listing the given name first followed by the surname.
*Listing the surname first followed by the first name.
*Abbreviating the last name or place name as “do”. This abbreviation means "the same as the above" last name or place name.
*Abbreviating the relationship to the head of the household, such as ''Daur'' for daughter.
*Abbreviating the name of county, such as ''Wilts'' for Wiltshire.
*Abbreviating the condition, such as '''M''' (married), '''U''' or '''Un''' (unmarried), '''W''' (widow or widower).
*Abbreviating the names of occupations, such as ''FWK'' as frame work knitter.
 
Some census pages have marks or slashes through information on the page. These were put there by a person who was making a count or summary of the data for statistical purposes. Handwriting is sometimes hard to read. One way to help with this dilemma is to compare unreadable letters or words with other ones on the same page or a page before or after.


It is helpful to understand The National Archives and the General Register Office catalog numbers. These numbers are written on the bottom or side of each census page. They refer to the office that was responsible for collecting the records, and are helpful when searching them. The numbers help if you were looking in a census index and wanted to find the information on a census page.  
It is helpful to understand The National Archives and the General Register Office catalog numbers. These numbers are written on the bottom or side of each census page. They refer to the office that was responsible for collecting the records, and are helpful when searching them. The numbers help if you were looking in a census index and wanted to find the information on a census page.  
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