Introduction
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THE Census Act, and the Instructions issued in conformity with its provisions, required that the 40,000 enumerators employed should copy into as many Books all the particulars collected by them concerning the inhabitants of Great Britain. These Books were to be placed, complete, in the hands of the 2190 Registrars in England, and the 1074 Superintendents of Parishes and Burghs in Scotland, who were to subject them to a strict examination, and make all necessary corrections. This being accomplished, the Books were to be transferred to the custody of the 624 Superintendent Registrars in Eng1and, and the 115 Sheriffs, Sheriffs-Substitute, and Provosts in Scotland, who were required to test the accuracy of their contents by a further process of revision. The Act of Parliament allowed these officers until the 1st of June, for the purpose of returning the revised Books to the Census Office, where they have still to undergo strict and minute examination and revision, before any detailed and authentic statement of results can be presented to the world. As this essential labor must, however, of necessity, engage much time, it was thought desirable not to withhold from the public such an approximation to the facts as might be obtained, without waiting for the entire completion of this series of checks. The Registrars, therefore, in England, and the Sheriffs and Provosts in Scotland, were desired to frame and to forward to the Census Office, summaries of the population and houses within their respective districts. From these summaries the following Tables have been compiled, and they must be taken to represent the results of the Census according to the statements of the local officers, previous to the revision now in progress at the central office. And although minute accuracy is not in these Tables to be looked for, neither is it to be apprehended that the alterations which a careful revision of the original documents may render necessary for a future publication, will be of importance sufficient to lessen the value of the figures, as materials Tor whatever general inferences may fairly be drawn from them. In the present publication, the "Counties of England and Wales," which may be denominated "Registration Counties,"
comprise groups of Registration Districts, generally conterminous with Poor Law Unions; consequently the aggregates of such districts seldom correspond with the precise boundaries of the actual counties. The rule adopted, whenever a district extends into more than one county, has been to assign it wholly to that county in which, at the Census of 1841, the greater portion of the population of that district was located. For the purpose of comparison between the different Censuses, the population of the counties previous to 1841 is given for the same boundaries as those which have since been assigned to the "Registration Counties." As Scotland is still without any system of registration, the counties there remain as before. The Tables, so far as concerns the return of females, require no explanation; but the return of males is disturbed by the circumstances that a portion of the army, royal navy, and merchant service is out of the country—that the numbers vary largely—and that in the earlier censuses no attempt was made to distinguish those at home and abroad, or those belonging to Ireland and. Great Britain. Reserving these questions for investigation, the following are the facts of most importance to be borne in mind in reasoning on the Tables. In every Census of Great Britain, from 1801 to 1831, the enumerators were instructed to take an account of the number of persons actually found within the limits of each parish, township, or place "exclusive of men actually serving in His Majesty's Regular Forces or Militia, and exclusive of seamen, either in His .Majesty.s service or belonging to registered vessels."
The army, royal navy, marines, and seamen in registered vessels of the United Kingdom are added to the population in the General Summary of Great Britain, with a proper intimation that "many soldiers and sailors are attributable to Ireland."
In 1841 the instruction was different; the soldiers and sailors ashore in. Great Britain were enumerated at their several barracks or places of residence, and entered under the parishes in which they slept or abode on the night of June 6th: 5016 persons were returned as travelling on Railways, and can now be referred to no particular locality. In 1851 the enumerators were instructed to take an account of the whole of the population, including soldiers and sailors who slept or abode in their districts, on the night of Sunday, March 30th. The persons travelling on railways on that night were returned at the places of arrival, except the few who would not read their destination at an early hour on Monday the day of enumeration. The royal navy in British Ports was returned; and arrangements were made with the Commissioners of Customs, who employed their officers to enumerate all the persons on board vessels, in each port of the United Kingdom, on the night of the Census. The population in vessels is thus included in the returns of the districts containing the ports and docks, or the districts to which the ports are adjacent. This course has been adopted with a view to a subsequent comparison of the population of each district with the registered Births and Deaths. Table I. comprises the population enumerated on March 31st, 1851. And an estimate has been made from the official returns, of the number of males in the army, navy, and merchant seamen belonging to Great Britain, but stationed in the East Indies, the colonies, and abroad, when the Census was taken. In reading Table V. it will be recollected that the army at home (29,846 in England and Wales and 2884 in Scotland) is included in the return for 1841; and that the return of 1851 includes not only the army, but 45,295 persons in England and Wales, and 5363 in Scotland, on board ships in the several ports and docks. Table VI. is framed in great part from Table V. The three first columns are, for instance, obtained by subtracting the number of persons enumerated in 1801 from the number of persons enumerated in 1811; the numbers enumerated in 1811 from the numbers enumerated in 1821; and the numbers enumerated in 1821 from the numbers enumerated in 1831. The army in the respective counties not having been enumerated in 1831, was deducted from the return of 1841, before taking the difference. The persons on railways (5016) have also been deducted. In obtaining the last column, the numbers returned. in 1841, including the military, were subtracted from the numbers returned in 1851, also including the military but exclusive of the royal navy and seamen in ports, amounting in the latter year to 45,295. In calculating the rates of increase,
the same considerations are taken into account; and a correction is made for the slight inequality in the intervals between the Censuses. The decennial rate of 1841-1851, derived from the two returns made at an interval of 9.814 years,
expresses the rate of increase in 10 entire years.
The interval between the Censuses of 1801 and 1851, is taken in the calculation at 50 years. The numbers in the army and the royal navy have varied so much at different Censuses, that the rate of increase derived from the females enumerated, is probably the most correct expression of the increase of the whole population.
The Census of
1801
was taken on
March 10
}
and on the days immediately subsequent thereto; if one
day was not sufficient.
In 1841 and 1851 the Enumerators were instructed to return only those who slept or abode in their districts on the night preceding the day named."
1811
"
May 27
"
1821
"
May 28
"
1831
"
May 30
"
1841
"
June 7
"
1851
"
March 31