England Census: Difference between revisions

}}&nbsp;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. In England, the first government census was taken in 1801. 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). The 1931 census was destroyed during WW II. Census records are generally released 100 years after they are taken. These records are one of the best ways to locate ancestors at a given place and time.<br>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 censu, 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. <br>{{further|England Census: Further Information and Description{{!}}Further Information and Description|Lost or Missing England Census Records}}  

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. <br>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:  

Name of each member of the household <br>Sex/gender <br>Age (for adults 15 and up, the age was rounded down to the lower multiple of 5) <br>Address <br>Occupation <br>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”.)<br>A column indicating if born out of the country, i.e. “S” for Scotland; “I” for Ireland<br>

Name of each member of the household<br>Sex/gender<br>Age – hopefully exact<br>Relationship to the head of the household<br>Condition – marital status <br>Occupation <br>Parish and county of birth (except foreign births, which usually gave country only) <br>

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. <br><br>See a detailed listing of the changes made to the census over the years starting in 1841. At the GENUKI website ([http://www.genuki.org.uk/ www.genuki.org.uk]) there is 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.  

A number of items need to be considered while searching census records for family members:<br>1.&nbsp;&nbsp; Names may be misspelled – both Christian and surnames could have variant spellings.<br>2.&nbsp;&nbsp; Ages and birthplaces may not be accurate – consider who was reporting the information.<br>3.&nbsp;&nbsp; Relationships may not be expressed in terms understood today – regionally “in law” and “step” are