1841 England, Wales & Scotland Census

The amount of information listed varies, but the 1841 Census records usually include the following information:

First name
Middle name
Last name
Sex
Birth place
Age
Place of residence
County

You can also search the 1841 census by address, which is ideal for tracing the history of your house or exploring the local history of an area.

By noting how many households there were in a building and whether the household included servants or boarders or visitors, you can gain insight into the social circumstances of the family.

As well as the above details, census returns may also include information that not only helps us to determine who our ancestors were, but that also tell us:

Where your ancestors were living
Who they were living with
What their occupations were
If they had any servants
Who their neighbours were
If they had any brothers and sisters
What their ages were at the time of the census

Discover more about the 1841 census

The 1841 census was the first modern census, when the first Registrar General of England and Wales was made responsible for organising the count.

The census was taken on the night of 6 June 1841 and gave the total population as 18,553,124.

The task of counting was passed to local officers of the newly created registration service. This is the earliest census that has survived in its entirety: few of the 1801, 1811, 1821 and 1831 censuses have survived the ravages of time.

1841 was the first time that the head of each household was given a form to fill in on behalf of everyone in the dwelling on a set day. This system still forms the basis of the method used today.

Of course, illiteracy was high in 1841, and anyone unable to read or write would have made use of an enumerator - a literate person who would be collecting the census forms - to help fill in the details. Because of this, however, you may note mistakes that were made, such as name spellings. It should also be noted that many people were often economical with the truth when it came to their ages.

Note: In the 1841 Census there was also a policy of rounding down ages was in place. As such, people aged:

15-19 were recorded as 15
20-24 were recorded as 20
25-29 were recorded as 25
30-34 were recorded as 30
35-39 were recorded as 35...and so on

As well as giving us the above information, the fact that census returns are taken every ten years also allows us to track the movements of our ancestors through time as they perhaps move house, get married, have children or even change occupations.

The 1841 census is the first modern UK census and the earliest census that has survived in its entirety. A small number of permanent gaps exist in the 1841 census. In the enumeration books the following parishes and hamlets are permanently missing from these piece numbers. Some of these parishes and hamlets represent the entirety of the piece, while others are just portions of a piece.

England

Piece	County	Parish or hamlet
89	Cheshire	Parish: Malpas (part)
		Agden
		Bickerton
		Bickley
		Bradley
		Broxton
		Bulkeley Chidlow
		Cholmondley
		Chorlton
		Cuddington
		Duckington
		Edge Egerton
		Hampton
		Larkton
		Macefen
		Malpas
		Newton-juxta-Malpas
		Oldcastle
		Overton
		Stockton
		Tushingham
		Wichaugh
		Wigland

		Parish: Shocklach
		Caldecott
		Church Shocklach
		Oviatt Shocklach

		Parish: Threapwood
192	Derbyshire	Parish: Walton-upon-Trent
404	Southampshire	Parish: Winnall
465	Kent	Parish: Bishopsbourne
467	Kent	Parish: Herne Bay
469	Kent	Parish: Reculver
470	Kent	Parish: Sturry
		Parish: Swalecliffe
		Parish: Westbere
		Parish: Seasalter Liberty
		Parish: Whitstable
		Harwich
471	Kent	Parish: Ashford (part)
475	Kent	Parish: Smarden
668	Middlesex	Parish: St Luke
		West Finsbury
		Golden-Lane
		Old Street
		Whitecross-Street
680	Middlesex	Parish: Paddington
690	Middlesex	Parish: Kensington (part)
		Brompton
		Kensall Green (part)
797	Northamptonshire	Parish: Blatherwycke
		Parish: Bulwick
		Parish: Bulwick Short Leys
		Parish: Deene
		Deenethorpe
		Parish: Great Weldon
		Little Weldon
		Parish: Weedon-Beck
798	Northamptonshire	Parish: Haselbeech
809	Northamptonshire
864	Piece number not used
890	Oxfordshire	Parish: Yarnton or Yarington
942	Somerset	Parish: Mells
1074	Surrey	Parish: Walton-upon-Thames
		Hersham
		Parish: Weybridge
1075	Surrey	Parish: Malden
1172	Wiltshire	Parish: Hardenhuish
1174	Wiltshire	Parish: Downton
		Charlton
		Church
		Downton
		East Downton
		Hamptworth
		Wick & Walton
		Witherington
		Parish: No-Man"s Land
1176	Wiltshire	Parish: Patney
1184	Wiltshire	Parish: Bishop’s Cannings
		Bourton & Easton
		Chittoe
		Coase
		Horton
		St James or Southbroom
		Parish: West or Bishop’s Lavington
		Fiddington
		Littleton Pannell
1186	Wiltshire	Parish: Allcannings
		Allington
		Etchilhampton
		Fullaway or Fullway
		Parish: Alton-Barnes
		Parish: Beeching-Stoke
		Parish: Churton or Cherrington
		Conock
		Parish: East or Market Lavington
		Easterton
		Parish: Marden
		Parish: St Bernard Stanton
		Parish: Urchfont or Erchfont
		Eastcott
		Lydeway
		Stert
		Wedhampton
1286	Yorkshire Wapentake: Claro (Lower Division)	Parish: Ripon (part)
		Bewerley
		Greenhow Hill (part)
		Dacre
		Hayshaw

Wales

Piece	County	Parish or hamlet
1369	Breconshire	Parish: Llanhamlach (Lower Division)
		Llecfaen (Upper Division)
		Parish: Vainor
		Coed-y-Cymmar
		Dyffrin
		Gelli
1404	Denbighshire	Parish: Clocaenog
		Isa
		Ucha
		Parish: Derwen
		Derwen-Dyfanedd
		Derwen-Ysgeifiog
		Parish: Llanelidan
		Bryncume
		Garthyneuvedd
		Nantclwyd
		Trewyn-Bodlowydd
		Parish: Llanfair-Dyffrin-Clwyd
		Derwen-Ilanerch
		Euarth
		Faynol
		Garthgynan
1405	Denbighshire	Parish: Llanaron
		Alltgymbyd
		Benhadlen
		Bodidris & Bodidris Truam
		Bodigre"r-Abbot Bodigre"r-Yarll
		Creiogiog-Is-Glan
		Creigiog-Uwch-Glan
		Chwyleiriog
		Cyfnant Erryrys
		Gelligynnan
		Gwaenyffymon
		Llan
1408	Flintshire	Parish: Bangor (part)
		Bangor
		Parish: Erbistock
		Parish: Hope or Estyn
		Caergwyrle
		Cymmau
		Estyn
		Hope Owen Rhanberfedd
		Shordley
		Isaf Uwch-y-Mynydd
		Uchaf Uwch-y-Mynydd
		Parish: Llanarmon (part)
		Bodidris
		Parish: Threapwood (part)
		Parish: Worthenbury
		Parish: Wrexham (part)
		Abenbury Fechan
		Parish: Malpas (part)
		Iscoyd
1409	Flintshire	Parish: Gresford (part)
		Merford & Hoseley
1410	Flintshire	Parish: Mold
		Arddynwent
		Argoed
		Bistree
		Broncoed Gwernafield
		Gwsaney
		Hartsheath
		Hendrebiffa
		Leeswood Llwynegrin
		Mold
		Nerquis
		Tryddyn

		Hamlets: Buckley (part)Gwernymynnd

		Waenrhwyddfyd
		Pantymwyn Llong
		Pontblyddyn
		Rhydgoley
		Pentre
1415	Glamorganshire	Parish: Merthyr-Tydfil
		Forest
		Garth Gelli-deg
		Heolwermood
		Taff & Cynon
1416	Glamorganshire	Parish: Cowbridge
		Parish:Llan-blethian
		Aberthin
		Treinghill
1423	Glamorganshire	Parish: St Bride Major
		St Bride
		Lampha (part)

Scotland

County	Parish or hamlet
Ayrshire	Auchinleck
Fife	Abdie
	Auchtermuchty
	Balmerino
	Ceres
	Collessie
	Creich
	Cults
	Cupar
	Dairsie
	Dunbog
	Kinghorn
	Kinglassie
	Kirkcaldy and Leslie
	Parts of Abernethy
	Arngask
	Burntisland and Kennoway
	Kennoway

Full list of United Kingdom records

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Discover more about the 1841 census

England

Wales

Scotland