1. Blossomfield U3A Family History Group 1. pre 1841 censuses 1753 - momentous year for family historical - or nearly was Passed through both the Commons and the Lords......then fell at the 2nd reading in the Lords It took another 50 years for the idea to take root

2. Blossomfield U3A Family History Group 2. late 18th century was the population shrinking or growing? The theory of Thomas Malthus - now largely discredited - but at the time gained support from many including the prime Minister, Pitt the Younger. The principle of counting people was not a new one, and many countries did it before the UK

3. Blossomfield U3A Family History Group 3. John Rickman Staunch opponent of Malthus. However, both agreed on the need to count the populaition It was Rickman's idea to hold a census every 10 years, and he got agreement in 1800, with the Census happening on 10th March 1801 Unfortunately for Family Historians, it was just a 'numbers game' There was no legal requirement to record names or other details of the inhabitants in any of the censuses from 1801 to 1831.

4. Blossomfield U3A Family History Group 4. 1801 census questions the number of houses (inhabited and uninhabited) number of males and females the number of persons 'chiefly' employed in; agriculture trade, manufactures or handicraft everything else number of baptisms and burials, split between males and females the number of marriages

5. Blossomfield U3A Family History Group 5. 1831 census The last one organised by Rickman, and more ambitious the range of occupations was expanded, a new question about servants, and the clergy had to give data on illegitimate births

6. Blossomfield U3A Family History Group 800 lists survive fewer that 100 of these are equivalent to full censuses Every county has at least 1, but Yorkshire has 77 1821 has 271 lists usually held by County Records Ofices apparently, there are a whole host of other 'census equivalents' as far back as the 16th century

7. Blossomfield U3A Family History Group All these records have been extensively researched and LISTED by: Colin Chapman in " Pre-1841 Censuses and Population Listings in the British Isles " Gibson and Medlycott in " Local Census Listings: 1522 - 1930 " Shall we pay to borrow these using inter-library loans?

8. Blossomfield U3A Family History Group www.histpop.org All the surviving census reports, together with a vast array of supplementary information, are freely available... The collection brings together a wide range of official documentation relating to censuses. Of great use to Family Historians - they help us to interpret the answers our ancestors gave to the enumerators

9. Blossomfield U3A Family History Group October 20th meeting - later in the month than usual how to order films of parish records from familysearch + follow through on pre 1841 censuses + decide on articles to talk about schools in November November 10th Group activity : Schooling (1841 to 1911?) December 8th - subject to be agreed (e.g. why we encounter brick wall in census records e.g. how some families 'travelled' extensively in UK) January meeting - Christmas lunch. Where shall we eat it?