1841 Census

The 1841 census was carried out on the night of Sunday 6th June 1841. It is not quite as useful as the later ones, for a variety of reasons:

1. The ages of adults were usually rounded down to the nearest 5 years.
2. No indication is given of the relationship of each member of the household to the head.
3. The exact places of birth were not recorded, and instead an indication was given as to whether or not the individual was born in the same county.
4. Many enumerators used pencil, and the returns can be difficult to read.

The columns in the 1841 Census are as follows:

1. Place
2. Houses, whether uninhabited or inhabited
3. Name
4. Age and sex
5. Profession, trade or employment, or of independent means
6. Whether born in same county
7. Whether born in Scotland, Ireland or Foreign Parts

The 1841 Census was also different in terms of the administrative unit, and the area names are generally based on the old ‘hundreds’. The relevant Piece Numbers applied to these ‘hundreds’ for the area of interest are in the range 346 to 380 for the ancient county of Gloucestershire and 929 to 972 for the ancient county of Somerset. The 1841 census is available online at the sites listed on the census page. A name index to much of the Bristol area is available in the Society’s Research Room.