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At LondonCensus.co.uk, you will find some practical information about the London Census from 1841 to 1901 and how to use it to research your family history. This includes:
- London Census Introduction - find out how the London Census can help you find your ancestors and build your family tree.
- London Census Case Studies - entries for Charles Dickens, Florence Nightingale and more in the London Census.
- Fascinating facts relating to London life between 1841 and 1901 on the London Facts page.
Information included in the London Census
All census records include Forename & Surname, Age, Sex, Occupation, and Address.
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In 1841, the only other piece of information recorded was the county of birth - this only tells you if the person was born in the same census county (usually has a y/yes or n/no).
From 1851, more information was added. This included the town/county of birth, the relation to head of household, marital status, and medical disabilities.
Employment Status was also recorded from 1891.
To find out more, visit LondonCensus.co.uk.
London - the Growing Capital of an Expanding Empire
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London was the growing capital of an expanding empire. The largest and richest city in existence. Each year the city grew by the population of a small town. It had the finest architecture and the river made London a centre of international trade.
The population had seen massive growth and the streets thronged with wealth and squalor side by side.
With no adequate sanitation many streets ran with the waste from houses and businesses. The Thames could not cope with the sewage from the millions of londoners and the tides simply pushed the waste upstream forming a massive cess pool. In the summer of 1858 the houses of parliament had to close because the smell had become overpowering.
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There were 13,000 street traders in London, many of which were children. The police estimated 20,000 children were being trained as pick-pockets and criminals.
This was the London that Dickens detested and helped slowly change through his novels ‘Oliver Twist’, ‘Pickwick Papers’ and ‘Bleak House’.
In 1861 London saw a revolution in sanitation brought about by a major sewer project. This meant that the sewage finally ran below the streets and under the Thames embankment. The project completed in 1866.
To find out more, visit LondonCensus.co.uk.
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1841 Census - 1851 Census - 1861 Census - 1871 Census - 1891 Census - 1901 Census |