The population of England and Wales, excluding the por tion of the army, navy, and merchant seamen abroad, was 20,066,224. The animal rate of increase per cent, of the population in the United Kingdom, in the ten years 1851-61 was 55, viz. : England and Wales, 1 14; Scot land, 0-58; Ireland, (decrease), 1 23; and islands in the
British seas, 02.The local machinery by means of which the census of England was taken in 1861 differed in no material respect from that employed in 1851. In subdividing the country the registrars were to see that the enumeration districts were not too extensive or too populous ; they were not to contain more than 200 houses in towns, so that they could be enumerated by an active man within the compass of a single day. An important feature consisted of the publi cation of the number of houses and population in " civil counties" and in lieutenancy subdivisions. The number of blind and of deaf and dumb from birth, the number of foreigners, and the number of naturalized British subjects, were shown in 1861 for the first time. In the case of Scot land, the enumeration was for the first time required to bo made apart from that of England, under the superintendence of the Registrar-General of Scotland. From 1855 Scotland had the advantage of a national system of registration, and the census of 1861 was therefore no longer taken through the agency of the sheriffs in counties, and of the provosts or chief magistrates in the royal and parliamentary burghs, but through the agency of 1001 local registrars of births, deaths, and marriages, assisted by 8075 enumerators. The forms and instructions issued were all based on, and in most cases virtually the same as, those used in England in the census of 1851. " Flats" were not reckoned as houses in Scotland in 1861. All the details as to population, &c., in 1851, were for civil parishes and civil counties only. In 1861 the returns were for registration districts and registration counties. The novel features in 1861 fur Scotland, which merit special notice, were tin number of families in every parish and county, the number of houses having windows, and the number of children between the ages of five and fifteen years in attendance at school. In 1861 it was ascertained that the islands in Scotland amounted to 787 in number, and of these 186 were inhabited by one or more persons on the census day.
The tables in 1861 relating to the ages, conjugal con ditions, birthplaces, blind, deaf and dumb, and to the occupations combined with ages, were published uniformly with those in 185 1. A comparison can be made of the occu pations at the different ages with the death registers, and the comparative mortality prevailing among the different classes and ranks of society can now be ascertained as well as the comparative healthiness of each occupation or trade.
Ireland, 1861.—The enumeration of the people of Ireland in 1861 was effected for the first time altogether (excepting the metropolis) by the officers and men of the constabulary force. The returns show for provinces, counties, baronies, parishes, towns, and parliamentary boroughs the area, population, and number of houses, the number of families with their pursuits and the means upon which they were dependent, also the religious profes sions and education of the inhabitants, the number of families living in each house, and the amount of their accommodation by counties in rural and civic districts, the birthplaces of the people, their condition as to marriage, and their occupations for each county, also tabular summaries relating to vital statistics.
The ages of the people in Ireland were incorrectly returned in 1861, and in the tables of the occupations of the people a large number are left unclassified.
In the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, the census was taken in conformity with instructions from the Home Office, by the respective Lieutenant-Governors acting in conjunction with the English central office.
First Imperial Census, 1871.
In 1871 the first Imperial census of the British empire was taken, and the population was found to amount to 234,762,593, living upon 7,769,449 square miles of territory ; comprising England and Wales, with a population of 22,856,164; Scotland, 3,392,559 ; Ireland, 5,449,186 : islands in the British seas, 147,470; and British Colonies and Possessions (exclusive of the army, navy, and mer chant seamen abroad, as they are included in the popula tions just quoted), 202,917,214. The population of England and Wales, excluding the portion of the army, navy, and merchant seamen abroad, was 22,712,266. The annual rate of increase per cent, of the population in the United Kingdom in the ten years 1861-71 was 83, vi/. : - in England and Wales, T23; Scotland, 92 ; Ireland (decrease), 71 ; islands in the British seas, 12.
In this great undertaking the work was subdivided for convenience of execution, in conformity with the Act of Parliament the census of England and Wales was taken by the Registrar-General, assisted by Dr Farr and J. T. Ham- mick. The population was enumerated in one day (3d April 1871) by 32,543 enumerators, employed under 2195 regis trars and 626 superintendent registrars.
Instructions were issued to the superintendent registrars, and to the registrars of births and deaths, for their guid ance in taking the census, and one of the duties requiring their earliest attention was the division of the country into enumeration districts, and just here the registrar hail an important duty to fulfil, for he was directed to see that the boundaries of parishes, townships, ecclesiastical dis tricts, municipal and parliamentary cities and borouglui, urban sanitary districts, and all other of the various con- dieting and confusing territorial subdivisions of the country, were duly indicated. Most of the registrars laid down the boundaries of their enumeration districts on maps, so as to ensure that no part of their districts was omitted.
These plans of division were first submitted to the various superintendent registrars, and finally to the Registrar-General for approval. The 32,543 enumerators were required to be intelligent, trustworthy, and active, to write well, and to have some knowledge of arithmetic. They were not to be infirm or of weak health, not younger than 18 years, nor older than 65 ; and they were required to be persons likely to conduct themselves with strict propriety and civility. 627 of the public or charitable institution) were enumerated by the masters or chief resident officers.
In order to facilitate the proper designation of all roads, streets, and houses, a circular was addressed to the mayor of each municipal city and borough, and to the chairman of every local board, suggesting that previous to the census all unnamed roads and streets should be named, and all houses numbered. Circulars were also addressed to the press explaining the objects and uses of the census, so as to aid in securing complete and correct returns.
The enumeration of 1871 was a " nominal " census.
The householders schedules were delivered by the enumerators prior to 3d April. Every separate occupier received a schedule, and this schedule was so prepared in accordance with the 4th section of the Census Act, that, as shown in the annexed example, the name, sex, age, rank, profession or occupation, conjugal condition, relation to head of family, and birthplace of every person who abode in any house, on the night of Sunday, 2d April 1871, might be returned ; the blind, deaf and dumb, imbecile, or lunatic were distinguished. At the census of 1871 the numbers of lunatics out of asylums and of imbeciles or idiots were ascertained for the first time.
