Census Returns

Such documents, with which we are all familiar today, provide a more than useful insight into various general and often personal pieces of information.

These Include the names of all people living in the household at the time of the census, their ages, relationship to the householder (from 1851), their occupations (from 1851), and the place of birth of all members of the family or household.

Returns can be consulted in various ways, usually from Public Record Offices and local County Record Offices, as well from Mormon Genealogical Libraries. From the latter source, one can usually gain immediate access to local returns, or else for a fee, for a copy of a return available from any part of the world.

Census returns are provided on microfilm for which reading facilities are available on special machines, which can unfortunately prove more than a little strain on the eyes of the viewer.

As information that is more detailed became needed from the household censuses, eventually provided the following information. Name of place in which household lived, including details about whether it was a hamlet, village, town or borough; full address; names of all present in the house on the night of the census; relationship to head of household; matrimonial status; age; sex; occupation; birthplace; and various other information including whether any person was blind, deaf or dumb.