Census Returns
Last updated: 09/12/2011
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Introduction
From 1841 census returns were made under the superintendence of
the officers of registration of births, marriages and deaths, and
the enumeration (counting) was done on one specified day. Summaries
of the findings are published as Parliamentary papers, and more
recent reports provide detailed statistics on birth and mortality
rates, occupations, housing, size of families etc.
For the censuses from 1841 onwards most of the original
manuscript returns compiled by local enumerators have survived.
They list the inhabitants of each parish by household, with names,
ages, place of residence, occupations, and from 1851 parish of
birth.
Available at CRO
- Copies of the abstracts of answers and returns for Cornwall,
1801, 1811, 1821 and 1831 censuses (catalogue reference FS
3/862-866).
- Printed list of questions to be answered by parish enumerators,
1831 census (catalogue reference P 60/16B/1).
- Summary table of population, county of Cornwall, for individual
parishes, with notes on operation of census, 1801-1901 (catalogue
reference FS 3/1229).
- Microfilm copies of enumerators' returns for all Cornish
parishes, 7 June 1841, 31 March 1851, 8 April 1861 and 3 April 1871
(120 reels: see Family History Index at the CRO for references for
each parish).
- Index by name, place and birthplace to the enumerators'
returns, with transcript as enumerated, 4 April 1881.
- Parliamentary papers summarising returns for Cornwall, 1881,
1901, 1911, 1921, 1931, 1951, 1961, 1971, 1981
The census is also available via the Cornwall Libraries
subscription to Ancestry.com on the People's Network computers in
the CRO searchroom and at local branch libraries.