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The census is a count and description of the population. In effort to determine the extent of its population for the purposes of taxation and representation, the English government took its first large-scale, statistical census enumeration in 1801 as a result of the ''Population Act ''of 1800. The first census that is widely available, and is considered of great value to family historians, is the census of 1841 and it was taken every ten years thereafter. However, earlier census records and population listings of many locations in the British Isles do exist - some prior to 1800. Pre-1841 censuses generally contain only numbers of individuals in a household, but some do contain individual names of a least the head-of-household. Detailed information on pre-1841 census records can be found in a 84-page book: Chapman, Colin R., 1998 (5th ed.), ''Pre-1841 Censuses and Population Listings in the British Isles,'' Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. (available in the Family History Library -- see FHL Reference: 942 X27cc 1998). | The census is a count and description of the population. In effort to determine the extent of its population for the purposes of taxation and representation, the English government took its first large-scale, statistical census enumeration in 1801 as a result of the ''Population Act ''of 1800. The first census that is widely available, and is considered of great value to family historians, is the census of 1841 and it was taken every ten years thereafter. However, earlier census records and population listings of many locations in the British Isles do exist - some prior to 1800. Pre-1841 censuses generally contain only numbers of individuals in a household, but some do contain individual names of a least the head-of-household. Detailed information on pre-1841 census records can be found in a 84-page book: Chapman, Colin R., 1998 (5th ed.), ''Pre-1841 Censuses and Population Listings in the British Isles,'' Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. (available in the Family History Library -- see FHL Reference: 942 X27cc 1998). | ||
Although the 1841 census is of great value, it had the limitations of not giving relationships, of rounding down the ages of adults (not children), and of not providing specific birthplaces for individuals. The 1851 census provided all the information and later census gradually added additional information. | Although the 1841 census is of great value, it had the limitations of not giving relationships, of rounding down the ages of adults (not children), and of not providing specific birthplaces for individuals. The 1851 census provided all the information missing in 1841 and later census gradually added additional information. | ||
The 1911 census is the most recent one to be released to the public. The 1931 Census was destroyed by fire during WW2. No census was taken in 1941 due to WW2. The Census contains: | The 1911 census is the most recent one to be released to the public. The 1931 Census was destroyed by fire during WW2. No census was taken in 1941 due to WW2. The Census contains: | ||