Census as a tool for Local Historians

Census Records are usually the domain of Family Historians, but can be very useful for Local Historians, yet often are overlooked when researching their particular locality.  A census can be seen as a snapshot of a given area at a given time, even though sometimes it may be flawed by misinformation giving to the enumerator or by mistakes in transcribing.  For all that the census will give a statistical insight into area.

 For example, when did industrialisation of the area take place?  Before 1841 or after 1851?  Was the influx of newcomers before 1851 or after 1871, and what brought them to the area?  Did migrants live only in certain areas, and if so did the various groups live together or in separate communities?

Can you compare economic wealth by occupation and if so can you extract a social class system from the census?  What was the difference in the shape of the workforce between any two given census?  Can you trace the rise and decline of an industry by using census data?  Did the growth of industrialisation have an effect upon the ruling elite who may have been landowners and gentry?

 Will it be possible to map middle Class areas from working Class areas and view any social mobility using Census Records?  Will it be able to trace improving living conditions in each locality and did improving conditions have a greater impact on better off workers at the early stages. Did the growth of suburbs lead to a less diverse society in the older parts of the area?  Did working class families have larger families than middle class families and did migrants have larger families than the local population.  Did migratory single men settle in the area and marry local girls or did they seek a bride from their native area?

 For the Family Historian, the address may give some indication of status and I remember one man who boasted about his address, only to discover that his large house where he was born was a former Barnardo’s home.  Similarly my Aunt and Uncle lived in a large house in South London, whose previous occupier had been a Doctor, after my Aunt and Uncle moved the house was turned into flats and more lately bedsits.  The whole area seemed to have ended up as boarding houses, hostels, and bedsits in less than fifty years.  One can see that even a single house history may reflect the social changes in an area.

 Charles Ramsay of South Shields Local History Society is proposing such a project for the group to examine census returns for the borough of South Shields.  He believes such research would be of lasting value to Local Historians.  He accepts there may be problems, and the project would need some careful planning.  If anyone is interested in forming a sub-group of the Local History group to undertake such a project he would like to hear from you?  You can contact Charles via South Tyneside Local Study Library. Tel 0191 424 7860