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Archiver > LANARK > 2003-02 > 1044096668


From: Pat McIntosh-Spinnler <>
Subject: Re: [LKS] 1841 Census Lookup
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2003 10:51:08 +0000
In-Reply-To: <200301311700.h0VH0KP3027603@lists5.rootsweb.com>


Frances posted this one:

>Pardon my ignorance but did the 1841 Census cover Scotland as well? If
>so, is anyone able to do a lookup for me without an actual address? The
>details I have are John and Elizabeth/Eliza Hamilton of Glasgow. Too
>broad? If so, what other details would be needed.


Frances, don't feel you have to apologise for not knowing. We all start
somewhere, and most of us start from a position of complete innocence about
this stuff.

The 1841 census did cover Scotland (and England & Wales, and the Isle of
Man. But here's a gap in my information: did it cover the whole of
Ireland?) However it is a lot less informative than the later censuses,
because it was the first which attempted to record everyone (rather than
just count them) and the authorities didn't know yet what was most useful
to ask.

In particular, it hasn't been indexed yet; adult individuals' ages are not
given accurately, but rounded (usually down) to the nearest 5 years; and
the place of birth is recorded only as "In the county" or "E, W or I" (for
England, Wales, or Ireland) or some cryptic offering for people from
further afield.

As a result, since Hamilton is a pretty common surname in Lanarkshire, you
would need an address to find your rels. The alternative is going through
thousands of records, all handwritten and reproduced on a murky microfilm
Do you know where they were living in 1851? People moved about a lot but
generally remained in the same part of Glasgow, so that could narrow it
down a bit. But to be honest, if these were mine, I'd concentrate on
finding later items in the paper trail, perhaps the 1851 census entry or a
birth or death cert after 1855 when registration began in Scotland, in the
hope that one or other would give me an earlier address for them.

Good luck with the hunt.
Pat


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