Genealogy Chat

Where did they find the vast body of census deliverers/collectors in the early days?

Presumably they could not do what they now do and recruit large numbers of teachers, civil servants, etc who take annual leave to do this. Was there a pool of literate people available? Was the task performed in the evenings, after a full day's work?

Alistair

Worth a read?

http://www.wirksworth.org.uk/A20-1901.htm

That was very interesting, thanks Claire

So, who did all the work, in 1841?

Alistair

Try this link

http://tinyurl.com/5uss2j

Thanks, Ivy.

Alistair

Hi Alistair

I've found another link, this time on literacy and population levels in the 1840s:

http://www.bl.uk/collections/early/victorian/pr_intro.html

Population say 10m (conservative estimate - nearer 20m incl Scotland); half male; say half that adults; bridegrooms able to sign their name already more than 60%; so say 1.5m adults males able to write - needed 35,000 enumerators according to the previous link - so they would be looking for around 1 in 40 or so whose writing was up to snuff and were available for the day.

Have you come across anyone on the census who acted as enumerator in 1841?

I have seen a village tailor (wife postmistress) who dealt with the returns for the village where he lived, but that wasn't 1841.
[Probably quite different from the Chesterfield 1901 experience - fantastic read, thanks Claire]

I know the 1911 Canadian census sheets listed the enumerator's name at the top, so you can look them up in the census - they often have jobs like teacher or town clerk, and also appear in many books as household #1.

Thanks, Ivy. I like your reasoning.

Alistair

In some of the district descriptions, can't remember if its in every census, the enumerator is listed. Some are signed at by the enumerator at the end of the district.

I particularly remember James Barber, who enumerated two districts in Martock Somerset in 1841 described himself as Ironmonger and Parish Clerk. Another was the BDM Registrar for the area and another the local surgeon. Local solicitors, post master and shop keepers also did the enumera

Ditions.