The 1841 England and Wales census was taken on Sunday 6th June 1841. The census recorded nearly 16 million people resident in England and Wales, including children. The 1841 census is significant in British history as it was the first nationwide census to record every individual by name. Earlier census returns simply captured either the names of the heads of the household or statistics of how many people lived in a parish. This census used pre-printed, standardised forms to capture sufficient detail about each person. It is considered to be the beginning of the modern British census,[1] largely due to the amount of information it captured compared to earlier versions but also due to its much higher survival rate.
Research your ancestors on MyHeritage
Research your ancestors on MyHeritageResearch your ancestors on MyHeritage
Information found on an 1841 CensusInformation found on an 1841 Census
The below is a list of the questions each household were asked as part of the 1841 census. Not all fields will have been filled out, however the information you may discover includes:
- City or parish
- Address- often simply a street name or a description such as 'near the school'. Sometimes only the parish is given with no further details
- Names of all people in the household- middle names are often omitted
- Age rounded down to the nearest five years for those over 15
- Sex
- Occupation
- Whether a person was born in the county where they currently resided
- Whether a person was born in Scotland, Ireland or ‘Foreign Parts’
Further information including marking any uninhabited houses and a tally of males and females per page.
Where to find the 1841 Census of England and WalesWhere to find the 1841 Census of England and Wales
The original paper schedules and enumerator's books are held at The National Archives in Kew in Series HO 107, however these are not available for public viewing. Digitised images and transcriptions have been created for the entire 1841 England and Wales census records and can be viewed online, such as 1841 England & Wales Census collection at MyHeritage.
Issues to be aware of with the 1841 CensusIssues to be aware of with the 1841 Census
Most genealogical records have their own issues to be aware of when using them to research our ancestors. The below are some that are relevant to the 1841 England and Wales Census:
- No relationships are stated between people living in a household. You cannot assume two adults living together are husband and wife, or an adult living with a child is their parent. Further sources are needed to confirm relationships and parentage
- Abbreviations are used very commonly, particularly in the occupation section due to lack of space (and also time saving for the enumerators). Common examples include 'FS' for female servant and 'Ind' for Independent means
- Only one occupation could be recorded per person
- Ages for those aged over 15 were meant to be rounded down to the nearest five years. This means a 48 year old should be recorded as 45. This can lead to confusion when trying to trace a person using their supposed birth year. In some cases exact ages are still given
- Whilst the census was supposed to include everyone, some people were missed. This sometimes happened if a family failed to understand that they should record an overnight visitor to their property. Many people from travelling communities were also missed by the enumerator
- Birth place is not specifically recorded. People were only asked to record if a person was born in the same county that they were currently living in. This can make it hard to trace a baptism for a person based solely on the 1841 census and further sources should be consulted
- If a person is recorded as being born outside of England and Wales, we can only find out if they were born in Scotland, Ireland or 'Foreign Parts'- no further clarification was required, such as the names of countries or cities
See alsoSee also
Explore more about 1841 England and Wales CensusExplore more about 1841 England and Wales Census
- 1841 England & Wales Census collection at MyHeritage
- Census Data – Discover census collections webinar on the MyHeritage Knowledge Base
- Adding a Census Record at Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- How to look for records of Census records at The National Archives
References
- ↑ Story of the Census. Office for National Statistics