Very near the truth A history of the Census in Scotland Ian White, Office for National Statistics Charles Abbott MP Founders of the notorious Hellfire Club Where s Potter? John Wilkes MP Sir Francis Dashwood Where s Potter? Alexander Webster s Census of 1755 Thomas Potter, Archbishop of Canterbury 1737-1747 The account that he has given of the number of the people will be found to come very near the truth, and to be sufficiently exact for answering every valuable purpose. 1
Sir James Denham-Steuart David Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan Sir John Sinclair s First Statistical Account,1796 Edinburgh, 1796 As I thought that a new word might attract more public attention, I resolved on adopting it, and I hope it is now completely naturalised and incorporated with our language. 1801 Rationale for the Census Bill 1801 Census questions Legislation and diplomacy Industrial resource Corn production Napoleonic wars Life assurance Males and females Persons employed in: - agriculture - trade, manufacturing or handicraft - other Inhabited houses Families Uninhabited houses 1801 Census enquiry John Rickman father of the Census 39 2
Spencer Perceval is shot in the Lobby of House of Commons by bankrupt businessman John Bellingham, 12 May 1812 The Reform Act, 1832 The great fire at the Palace of Westminster, 16 October 1834 Thomas Henry Lister: First Registrar General Lister- the flatulent young novelist Lister the Registrar General 1841 the first modern Census Cruickshank s Taking the 1841 Census 51 3
Somerset House, The Strand Opposition to the new style Census The 1851 head of the household George Graham: Registrar General 1842-1879 William Farr: Superintendent of Statistics 1837-1879 62 1861 Census: Tabulating occupation 1851 enquiry into religion A sadly formidable portion of the English people are habitual neglecters of the public ordinances of religion. Horace Mann 4
1861:a separate Census in Scotland 1861 Census: Differences in housing William Pitt Dundas 1 st Registrar General for Scotland or is it Peter Scrimgeour? In Scotland..all buildings and tenements of which the whole or any part shall be used for the purposes of human habitation In England. a distinct building separated by party walls Infirmities in the Census Infirmities in the Census 1871 Census: Irish immigration Sir Stair Agnew, 3 rd Registrar General for Scotland The influence of the Irish in Scotland was more of purification than of corruption. William Donnelly The leaving of Ireland 5
1881 Census: question on Gaelic language Dangers of translating into Welsh Dangers of translating into Welsh 1911 Census Household schedule I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated". 1911 Census: hollerith technology The 1911 Fertility Enquiry 6
1911 Census: Suffragette boycott 1921 Census: Too many missing residents The Rt Hon John Burns, in his capacity both as Minister responsible for both conducting the 1911 Census and a member Asquith s anti-suffrage Cabinet 1931 Census: Usual residence question 1931 Census: taken at the time of severe economic depression (1) For persons included in this Schedule who usually reside at this dwelling or establishment, write Here. (2) For those who have a more usual residence elsewhere, give the full postal address of usual residence. (3) For those who have no settled place of residence, write None. See Instructions 1939 National Registration 1939 National Registration Completing the 1939 Registration Form Checking up on the draft dodgers 7
1951 Census: more questions, more publicity 1951 Census innovations: Urban and rural areas Broad Street, Stirling Aberlour Just how old was Zsa Zsa Gabor in 1951? 1961 Census: First use of a computer 1961 Census: guess the occupation Lady Isobel Barnett Jerry Desmonde Barbara Kelly Gilbert Harding 1971 Census: Grid square data David Rhind (People in Britain) William Farr (1851) 1971 Census: Difficulties in England, Scotland barely troubled 8
1981 Census: Difficulties and differences 1991 Census: Innovations The Ethnic Group question 1991 Census: Innovations 1991 Census: the student problem Samples of Anonymised Records 1991 Census: the student problem Disaster averted ED maps saved Q8 Term-time address of students and school children If not a student or schoolchild, please tick first box. For a student or schoolchild who lives here during term time, Tick This address. If he or she does not live here during term time, tick Elsewhere and write in the current or most recent term time address Not a student or schoolchild This address Elsewhere If Elsewhere, please write the term time address and postcode below in BLOCK CAPITALS ---------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- Postcode 9
1991 Census: the processing centre, Hillington Before the hole in the roof was fixed 1991 Census: The Poll Tax and afterwards No more popular in 1989.. than it was in in 1275 2001: the Bicentennial Census 2001: the Bicentennial Census Thank you 10