Norwich Censuses of 1801, 1811, 1821, 1831 -what do they contain?

[Keith Sherwood]

Hi, Everyone,
I have just read that there was some kind of Census taken for the city of Norwich in 1801, 1811. 1821 and 1831.  Were these just population counts, or were there other details including family names?  And where would records of these be kept?
Very best wishes,
keith

[Necromancer]

The whole country had a census from 1801, every 10 years - its not till 1841 that they are 'useful' to genealogists.

Typically before that they showed just Householders (sometimes with occupation) and with household headcount only. Altho there are many exceptions ...

I have a list of those still extant, and Norwich figures in just some of those years - whats left is archived in the Norwich Records Office....

Perhaps the oldest and most interesting 'pre-Govt' census listed is the 1570 Census of the Norwich Poor - about 25% of the Norwich population.

 

[Keith Sherwood]

Thanks very much for that, Newf.
I've been reading the absorbing book: "Norwich Since 1550", a series of essays edited by Carole Rawcliffe and Richard Wilson, and came across mention of these Censuses in rather a dull chapter on population trends.
Yes, occasionally one comes across fascinating individual Censuses apart from the National ones, including a couple for the villages of Kingston (whose name I've temporarily forgotten, but it's on line somewhere!) and Hinxton 1801 in my County of Cambridgeshire.
Might head up to Norwich some time soon to have a look in the Norfolk Record Office.  That 1570-or-so survey of the Poor in Norwich sounds a detailed one - do they have copies of that at the N.R.O?
keith

[Keith Sherwood]

...The Hinxton Census was 1802, the "Speculum Gregis" was for Croydon-cum-Clopton, in 1843, not Kingston.  Both places are just a few miles from where I live.
keith

[Necromancer]

Hi Keith, yes, in my booklet, that 1570 census is shown as an actual publication - Norwich City Records, case 20, shelf C 

[Keith Sherwood]

Newf.
I can almost see myself reaching for the publication on that shelf C, when I next get up to Norwich!
Many thanks,
keith

[peggypatch]

NCR Case 20 shelf c is not a shelf at the NRO now, but the way the Norwich City Records were kept before they were transfered to the NRO. There may well be a publication of it available  somewhere on the shelves, but otherwise you will have to find it in the NCR catalogue and order it up.

[Keith Sherwood]

Peggypatch,
Thanks very much for updating me on that!
keith

[Necromancer]

Guess things have moved on since 1996