Family Historian User Group

Something I've been wondering for a while... How were the censuses carried out in olden-tymes(TM). Nowadays its a reasonable assumption that most households contain someone literate enough to complete a census form. But for say the 1841 census I'm guessing that literacy was not that common in the working classes.

So was a form sent to each household, or did the enumerator walk the streets on census night (and presumably several afterwards)?

Just curious
Graham

ID:1808

There is a good article here which you may find of use.
http://www.british-genealogy.com/resources/census/

Thanks Jane, a very interesting article. Seems amazing that the information we now have available is as accurate as it is [tongue]

Graham