The Role of the Census Enumerator

[Paulc]

Love him or hate him, you just can't live without him! Let's learn a little bit more about our friend the Census Enumerator.

https://chiddicksfamilytree.com/2021/08/01/the-role-of-the-census-enumerator/

[cbcarolyn]

good story, I did it in 1981 ....this must have been me then....."The enumerators were selected for their local knowledge, intelligence, education, reliability and respectability. "

I remember being given a map, and I had to choose how to walk the route and compile my schedule, I had to find all the properties, so doors around the back/side etc where properties were 32 a and 32b etc etc, so could easily have missed a property. I can see it would be so easy to miss a tucked away property, so relied on neighbours. I must have regularly asked householders if there were any additional properties.

Can't remember how many times I revisited to get all the forms back now.

They should have made it in the summer, as even back in 'old days' people were out during the day, so wandering around the streets in the dark wasn't helpful either. I guess it was 'year end' on govt, and they thought it should be done at the same time. Compiling the reg of electors starts in the summer months.

[Jill on the A272]

My 3x great grandfather was the local registrar of births and deaths in Sutton, Sussex and in 1861 he appointed his nineteen year old son William Neal Harwood as an enumerator, so I have my own family in William's handwriting and those of my husband's ancestors who were from the same parish.

[Paulc]

good story, I did it in 1981 ....this must have been me then....."The enumerators were selected for their local knowledge, intelligence, education, reliability and respectability. "

I remember being given a map, and I had to choose how to walk the route and compile my schedule, I had to find all the properties, so doors around the back/side etc where properties were 32 a and 32b etc etc, so could easily have missed a property. I can see it would be so easy to miss a tucked away property, so relied on neighbours. I must have regularly asked householders if there were any additional properties.

Can't remember how many times I revisited to get all the forms back now.

They should have made it in the summer, as even back in 'old days' people were out during the day, so wandering around the streets in the dark wasn't helpful either. I guess it was 'year end' on govt, and they thought it should be done at the same time. Compiling the reg of electors starts in the summer months.

I don't think I have ever met a real-life living census enumerator!!

[Paulc]

My 3x great grandfather was the local registrar of births and deaths in Sutton, Sussex and in 1861 he appointed his nineteen year old son William Neal Harwood as an enumerator, so I have my own family in William's handwriting and those of my husband's ancestors who were from the same parish.

That's wonderful Jill, how amazing to see your Ancestor's writing on multiple pages........I hope it was legible!!

[Jill on the A272]

That's wonderful Jill, how amazing to see your Ancestor's writing on multiple pages........I hope it was legible!!

Yes, clear and legible all the way through, though the image of the first page with his signature and description of the area on Ancestry is partially obscured by a slip of paper, though I have seen it fully on microfiche.

[cbcarolyn]

I don't think I have ever met a real-life living census enumerator!!

hee hee, I was working for Epping Forest District Council and the chief accountant was whatever they called the regional man. He recruited most of us in finance, and I was only 20, so it was seen as a bit of extra money. I wish I could remember how much I got paid. I did Nazeing, guess not all of it, and we were told to offer the opportunity for the census to be sent back in an envelope, if they were funny over me seeing their details. I remember all that came back in envelopes Vic just gave to me to open and told to add to my schedule.....

There was a Tottenham player who was quite sniffy, name escapes me, and also a 'school friend' that recognised me, although I lived in Harlow and went to school there, many of the kids from Nazeing went to my school.

A friend did Dobbs Weir and the banks of the Lea, there were 'shacks' along the river, that was all very different we didn't even know there were people living there, that was hard trying to find all the 'residential' places, especially in the dark, and remember doing a weekend visit, and rushing there straight from work when it was still light. We kind of did both together, as roaming the streets on our own was a bit boring.

[Anne in Carlisle]

Yes, I have a gg grandfather who enumerated for a couple of censuses in Cranfield, Bedfordshire. Was quite a surprise to find that, and all in his writing.

Another one which impressed me was a woman enumerator in Hull in the 1891 (I think). She drew a beautiful map of her route which made it so much easier to follow. Also her writing was easy to read too.

And then there are a few I've seen where the official person had got bored/tired of copying out the details and it continues (in the middle of a line) in another hand. I had fun thinking of the conversations going on at the time.

Anne

[cbcarolyn]

If i had known that one day many other people would be reading it, I may have taken a bit more care over it!

[PhotoFamily]

If i had known that one day many other people would be reading it, I may have taken a bit more care over it!

One day when I was working on genealogy at the Library, I remarked that it would have been better if they had collected an additional piece of information. The person assisting me pointed out that census-taking was not done for genealogy purposes

[Jill on the A272]

I discovered a few years ago that the 1841 enumerator for district 22 in Brighthelmstone, Sussex (Brighton's old name) was none other than it's Chief Constable Henry Solomon. He had held various responsible posts in the town before being appointed a police officer, was the first senior Jewish police chief constable in the country and the first to be murdered. He was attacked with a poker in his own office in 1844 by a prisoner and died the following day. Over £1000 was raised by public subscription for his widow and large family.

He got about halfway through his district (his signature is on the first page) before the handwriting changes, possibly handed over to his wife or a teenage child to complete.

Here he is at home with his wife and nine children in Little East Street, close to the police station in Brighton Town Hall, you can visit the Brighton Police Museum in the basement. (My son and I went, as a serving police officer he found it very interesting.)

[Paulc]

hee hee, I was working for Epping Forest District Council and the chief accountant was whatever they called the regional man. He recruited most of us in finance, and I was only 20, so it was seen as a bit of extra money. I wish I could remember how much I got paid. I did Nazeing, guess not all of it, and we were told to offer the opportunity for the census to be sent back in an envelope, if they were funny over me seeing their details. I remember all that came back in envelopes Vic just gave to me to open and told to add to my schedule.....

There was a Tottenham player who was quite sniffy, name escapes me, and also a 'school friend' that recognised me, although I lived in Harlow and went to school there, many of the kids from Nazeing went to my school.

A friend did Dobbs Weir and the banks of the Lea, there were 'shacks' along the river, that was all very different we didn't even know there were people living there, that was hard trying to find all the 'residential' places, especially in the dark, and remember doing a weekend visit, and rushing there straight from work when it was still light. We kind of did both together, as roaming the streets on our own was a bit boring.

I think there is room for a book here, the tales of a census enumerator

[Paulc]

Yes, I have a gg grandfather who enumerated for a couple of censuses in Cranfield, Bedfordshire. Was quite a surprise to find that, and all in his writing.

Another one which impressed me was a woman enumerator in Hull in the 1891 (I think). She drew a beautiful map of her route which made it so much easier to follow. Also her writing was easy to read too.

And then there are a few I've seen where the official person had got bored/tired of copying out the details and it continues (in the middle of a line) in another hand. I had fun thinking of the conversations going on at the time.

Anne

I always enjoy it when the bored enumerator does some doodles on the pages, always makes me smile

[Paulc]

I discovered a few years ago that the 1841 enumerator for district 22 in Brighthelmstone, Sussex (Brighton's old name) was none other than it's Chief Constable Henry Solomon. He had held various responsible posts in the town before being appointed a police officer, was the first senior Jewish police chief constable in the country and the first to be murdered. He was attacked with a poker in his own office in 1844 by a prisoner and died the following day. Over £1000 was raised by public subscription for his widow and large family.

He got about halfway through his district (his signature is on the first page) before the handwriting changes, possibly handed over to his wife or a teenage child to complete.

Here he is at home with his wife and nine children in Little East Street, close to the police station in Brighton Town Hall, you can visit the Brighton Police Museum in the basement. (My son and I went, as a serving police officer he found it very interesting.)

Fascinating stuff Jill, I would imagine that the Murder would have made big news at the time, something that would have been all over the papers and maybe an inquest as well. There's definitely enough in this for a book