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Go to the FAMILY HISTORY main page The 1841 Census |
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The 1841 census was taken on June 6 1841. It is considered to be the first modern UK census. The administration of earlier census returns was the responsibility of the Overseers of the Poor and the clergy and most of those returns no longer survive. The 1841 census was the first to be kept permanently and it was the first census administered by the Registrar General and the Superintendent Registrars, who were also responsible for the civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths as a result of the 1836 General Registration Act. A pre-printed census schedule was left with each household and later collected by the enumerator. If there was no one in the house who could write, the enumerator helped to record the information. The census enumerator then copied the information on the schedules into their official books known as census enumerators' books. Unfortunately, the original census schedules have been destroyed and it is the census enumerator's books that researchers see. Because the information in the books is a copy of the information on the schedule, there were often mistakes made in transcribing the information. Each householder was required to complete the census schedule giving the address of the household, the names, ages, sexes, occupations, and places of birth of each individual residing in his or her accommodation. Ages up to 15 were to be listed exactly as recorded but ages over 15 were to be rounded down to the nearest 5 years (i.e. a person aged 53 would be listed on the census as age 50 years). As you can see from the Burbage census return, this procedure was not always followed - some ages for adults are exact and some are obviously rounded down. The major drawback with the 1841 census for genealogy research purposes is that relationships within a household are not shown. Some relationships are obvious (father, mother, and children), but the person with the different surname living in the same household could be a close relative or a lodger. The transcription is my best effort at deciphering the handwriting of the enumerators. The Burbage return is in fairly good shape, but I cannot say my transcription is 100% correct. Where I am not completely sure of a surname I have placed a ? after it. For the 1841 census, the Parish of Burbage was part of Kinwardstone Hundred, county of Wiltshire. It was in the Superintendent Registrar's District of Pewsey and encompassed Enumeration Districts 4, 5, and 6 of the Registrar's District of Pewsey. 1450 persons were counted in Burbage for the 1841 Census (717 males and 733 females), living in 285 houses. There was one uninhabited house. |
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Enumerator 1 - East of the Turnpike (High Street) and south of Eastcourt Road (as is) |
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Enumerator 2 - East of the Turnpike and north of Eastcourt Road |
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Enumerator 3 - West of the Turnpike |
©John Frivance 2004