5 Tips For Researching Genealogy in the 1841 UK Census

When I started researching family history by using the 1841 Census in England, I found it thoroughly frustrating. Very little seemed to make sense and in many cases the 1841 census just opened up more questions that it answered.

But as I have learnt more about the 1841 census and how best to use it, it has become a vital census in bridging the gap to my ancestors in the 1700's. Here are 5 tips on how to use the 1841 census effectively.

Tip 1 - Adult Ages Are Not Exact

In the 1841 census the ages of adults over 15 are not recorded exactly. Enumerators were instructed to round down an adults age to the nearest 5 years. Before I learnt this fact, I often puzzled over why so many ages appeared as a multiple of 5 in the 1841 census. It became perfectly obvious in hindsight once I learnt the reason why!

An example of a particularly confusing record from the 1841 census in my own research was for Constant Dredge of Somerset. From my previous research about the Dredge family it seemed fairly clear that the younger Constant's mother was also called Constant. But in in finding them in the 1841 census, the first Constant was listed as being 30 and the second Constant was listed as being 15. At these ages it was not impossible that they were mother and daughter, but it certainly was questionable.

But after finding out that Constant (the mother) could have been 33 or 34 and had her age rounded down to 30, it made far more sense.

Tip 2 - Were They Really Born in County?

In the 1841 census unfortunately the location of a person's exact birthplace is not recorded. It simply records whether or not a person was born in the county in which they were residing on census night. A yes or no answer is all that is available.

In my research I have found this field to be correctly filled out in most cases. But there have been several occasions where it is incorrect. Just one wrong assumption about a place of birth can quickly lead genealogists down the wrong path of research, especially if the name is common.

Tip 3 - What Are the Relationships Between People in the Household?

The 1841 census does not record the relationships between the people found in the household on census night. In the example of the Dredge family above, it is fairly likely that Constant Dredge was the mother and appeared in the census with her six children.

But as the household relationships not recorded, it would also be possible for a niece or nephew to be one of the children that are listed. Judging by the ages of the children it would seem unlikely, but it's not impossible.

The above example is fairly straightforward, but I have researched several families where it is impossible from the 1841 census alone to tell how anyone is related. It just appears to be a large group of people all with the same surname!

In later censuses the husband is usually listed first and his wife is listed second. But this did not always occur in 1841 census - the order is far more variable. In confusing cases the 1841 census is fantastic for finding out the names of ancestors, but other family history research methods are needed to tie together their family relationships.

Tip 4 - Verify Details in the 1851 Census

One of the big helpers in verifying personal information about an ancestor is from the 1851 census (and subsequent censuses of course). From 1851 onwards the exact birthplace was recorded, allowing us to cross-check information from the 1841 census about whether a person was born in the county.

From 1851 onwards, the census records show the relationship to the head of the household. So it is easier to identify when a cousin, in-law or nephew or niece was staying or living with the family.

Tip 5 - Work Backwards With The Information You Already Have

I have also found the 1841 census to be of far more use when I know what I am looking for. Because the exact age of adults and the exact place of birth are not recorded it is harder to find ancestors by simply performing a search in an online database.

I was trying to identify an ancestor in the 1841 census, but it was a very common surname in England. I had found this ancestor in the 1851 census and his occupation was listed as a "Musician". By searching through many options in the 1841 census I discovered my ancestor by matching the occupation. Fortunately he was recorded as being a Musician in 1841 and I had found the person I was looking for.
Luke Howes is an avid genealogist in Australia with a particular interest in his ancestors in England. He is the owner of websites about the UK Census from 1841 to 1901 and also the recently released 1911 UK Census

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