A fascinating primer on how censuses have been taken in Britain over
the last two centuries, and what they can tell us about the ways in
which society has evolved.
The 21 censuses that have been conducted in Britain since 1801, have
provided an invaluable insight into Britain's social, political and
economic history over the past 200 years. From their original purpose to
assess how many men were fit for military duty in the Napoleonic wars,
to being a necessary tool for determining government policy, the
10-yearly census return is a fascinating snapshot of the state of the
population on a particular moment in each decade. The growth of
Britain's cities; the movement of population away from the countryside;
the variety of people's occupations; their way of life; and what
religious beliefs they hold are all contained within the census reports.
With the imminent publication of the 1921 census results, this will
prove a useful introduction, both for those interested in general trends
in social history, and those researching family history.