Here are some things to consider when evaluating census information: - Spelling of names may vary, try different spellings - Ages may be rounded or estimated - Relationships can clarify if listed (head of household, wife, children, etc) - Occupations provide social context - Addresses trace family movements over time - Literacy of enumerator impacts legibility and accuracy Let me know if you have any other questions!

1. Tutor: Dave Carr. Email. carrspace@mac.com
Read my blog at http://davecarr.posterous.com
BECOMING A
FAMILY HISTORY
DETECTIVE
Course Overview
Over this 10 week course we will look at the following areas:
Research Basics
Census Records
Civil Registration
Church Records
Finding Your Ancestors
Each week will include time for individual on-line research supported by Dave
1. Research Basics
This section will help you to :
a. Understand what a census is.
b. Identify the type of information found on a census record.
c. Access census records online.
d. Evaluate the information you find on census records.

2. Identify the type of information found on a census record.
Common Enumerators Marks
/ the last person in each household in the same building
// the last person in each building
M or Mar = Married, Unm = Unmarried, W = Widowed
Ag Lab + Agricultural Labourer
Ap = Apprentice
Cl = Clerk
Dom = Domestic Servant
Fs/Ms = Female/Male Servant
J = Journeyman
Hints for Searching
• Enter less information rather than more, at least to start with
• try different spellings
• try the spouse or one of the childrens names or a shortened first name
• try the middle name as the first name
• try just the first name or just the last name
• always check the names of neighbours
• consider checking the names of witnesses on marriage certificates
• last resort, try soundex

3. Understand what a census is.
• A census is the statistical count of
the population of a country.
• The first census was taken in 1841.
• Census records were taken every
10 years.
• The latest census available is 1911.
Identify the type of information
found on a census record.
1841. Head of Household Antony
Carr.
Wife Ellen
(Visitor) Patrick
Son James
In 1841 the ages of those over 20
were rounded down to the nearest 5
years, therefore a person age 44
would be shown as aged 40.
Those under 20 years of age were re-
corded with their proper age.

4. Identify the type of information
found on a census record.
1851. Head of Household Antony Carr
His wife Ellen is not there.
Son James
Son Thomas
Daughter Elizabeth

5. Identify the type of information
found on a census record.
1861. Head of Household James Carr
We are now in Antony’s son James Household.
James’s Wife Charlotte
James Daughter Harriet

6. Identify the type of information
found on a census record.
1871. Head of Household James Carr
James Wife Charlotte
James Daughter Harriet and Son James

7. Identify the type of information
found on a census record.
1881. Head of Household James Carr
James Wife Charlotte
James Son James
Daughter Harriet has left

8. Identify the type of information
found on a census record.
1891. Head of Household James Carr
We are now in James son James Household.
James Wife Rose
James Daughters Annie, Phebe
James Sons Luke and John (Jack)
Actually some of these were Roses children from a previous marriage

9. Identify the type of information 1901. Head of Household James Carr
found on a census record.
My Grandfather
Leonard Carr

10. Access census records online.
Go to these Web sites to search the England and Wales
censuses:
• FreeCen www.freecen.org.uk provides partial free cover-
age across England, Wales and Scotland. Check out the
coverage rates here www.freecen.org.uk/statistics.html
• Family Search also offers free searching of the 1891
England census
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/frameset_searc
h.asp?PAGE=census/search_census.asp
• Other sites generally charge, although Ancestry is free in
libraries, and on this course. Go to the site at
www.ancestry.com

11. Evaluate the information you find on census records
Exercise
• Choose a family who lived in England in the mid–1800s.
• Search the Web sites we visited to find the family in censuses.
• Compare the information in the censuses.
• Determine what the information tells you about the family.