Shelle's Census Page
The aim of this page is to give a
brief history into the UK Census reports, what they are about, how
and why they started and more importantly how they feature in our
family history and research.
We will also give you some historical facts and figures you may find
interesting for each year that the reports feature.
We have for a long time wanted to be able to show the full census
reports that feature our family details, unfortunately copyright law
prevents us from doing so, and so Shelle has Compiled a database
that will allow us to view the full reports information as we have
it today.
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What is a Census Report?
Since 1801, every ten years the nation has set aside one day for the
census - a count of all people and households. It is the most
complete source of information about the population that we have.
The latest census was held on Sunday 29 April 2001.
Every effort is made to include everyone, and that is why the census
is so important. It is the only survey which provides a detailed
picture of the entire population, and is unique because it covers
everyone at the same time and asks the same core questions
everywhere. This makes it easy to compare different parts of the
country.
The information the census provides allows central and local
government, health authorities and many other organisations to
target their resources more effectively and to plan housing,
education, health and transport services for years to come.
In England and Wales, the census is planned and carried out by the
Office for National Statistics. Elsewhere in the UK, responsibility
lies with the General Register Office for Scotland and the Northern
Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.
When is the next Census?
The most recent census was on 29 April 2001. Plans are being made to
hold the next census in 2011.
Planned enumeration methods for the 2011 Census are a mix of new and
traditional. Delivery will be by hand or post, and return will be by
post, doorstep collection, Internet, and possibly telephone.
Why did it Start?
History does repeat itself - and the census proves that. The first
modern census of 1801 was called amidst fears that Britain's growing
population would outstrip the country's supply of food - and 200
years later countryside and food are as topical as ever.
There have been great changes in the census itself over the last two
centuries - from the at times controversial questions on the forms
to the methods of collecting, storing, processing and assessing the
information.
The census is rich in history - both in the questions and the
answers. They reveal the changes that have taken place during what
is regarded as the biggest upheaval of the population in Britain's
history.
Statistics.
The last census which took place in 2001 counted almost 60 million
people living in 24 million households, it asked 40 questions and
generated almost 2 billion bits of information. This influenced £50
billion of public spending.
Two centuries of census taking has seen some big changes in the
British way of life. In 1991 90% of the population lived in urban
areas compared to just 16% in 1831. The average household has fallen
by half in 100 years from 4.6 persons in 1901 to 2.4 persons today.
We are also living much longer, in 1821 almost half the population
was under 20 years of age, compare that today when less than a
quarter are under twenty.
The Census Report and its History
The first official UK census was undertaken in 1841. We say first
official because it was only in 1841 that professional enumerators
were employed to take the census in this year. Prior to this, whilst
there was indeed census reports taken, it was left to the overseers
of the poor and leading parish members to collect the information.
This did not accurately portray the UK's population as it seemed
that many people slipped the net and were not recorded at all.
In 1841 some 35,000 male enumerators were employed and supplied only
with pencils recorded almost 16 million people living in the UK.
Punched cards and sorting machines to process data were first used
in 1911. Computers were first used for recording of census reports
in 1961 and in 2001 for the first time ever the census reports were
posted back. Also for the first time in 2001 a religious question
was asked, this came to show that more and more people identified
themselves in terms of their religion.
Also in 2001 the census was made public to anyone who had an
internet connection.
The sometimes humorous census Statistics.
There are at times some comical statistics on census reports. Take
for example in 1881, one woman gave her title as "maid of all work"
her occupation as "slave" and a handicap of "scarcity of money" I
wonder how many women would feel things have not really changed that
much!
In 1851 a woman in Portsmouth gave her title as "head of household"
which was very unusual in the 19th century, Normally this title
would only have been used by the Queen and that was only in the 1841
census, prior to this, that title was only used by her husband
Albert. It is alleged that the Portsmouth woman gave her occupation
as "mangle worker" and then went on to list her Husbands occupation
as "turns my mangle"
Other strange occupations that have been listed are "bathing van
proprietor", "Professional wizard" and "Blackpudding makers". It
also has turned out that a man in Cornwall gave his occupation as
"retired smuggler" and a man living in the same street gave his as
"retired customs officer".
In 1951 government ministers asked woman to be more truthful when
asked their age. It seemed that many woman had adjusted up their age
if they married young and then down if they married later, this
provoked outrage by women fearful of their true age being known.
This has also effected census reports even today as it is admitted
that age reports can be as much as five years out.
In 1971 a campaign was launched in the Daily Mirror entitled "Mind
your own business" saying that the census violated civil liberties.
Two women staged a naked protest in London saying that their actions
symbolised how the census would lay their private lives bare. The
1971 census gathering took place nevertheless.
The Census Today
The census is the most widely used of any government data. It is
unique in the fact that it provides information at every level. The
Census reports are used by local government and voluntary
organisations for communities involved in planning and delivering
services and by anyone researching local issues.
The plans are now being made for the next census in April 2011.
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The compiling of the Census databases is well under way. We are now
able to show three census reports that feature the Melton Family.
The Reports show addresses and age of each family member and also
very interestingly thier occupations.
You will notice the box to the far right of each document is to list
any member who is Deaf and Dumb, Blind, an ibicile or idiot or any
that are lunatics.
We are glad to see that no family member has been classed as any of
these.
Shelle is currently working on further documents that will show
other surnames in the Census reports.
You will find the databases under the Menu in the column to the
left.
OUR CENSUS REPORTS
To view the 1851 Database Click here
To view the 1861 Database Click here
To view the 1871 Database Click here