(Comparison of the early Census 1801 and 1811)

Transcribed by Heather Carbis

from

Abstract of the answers and returns made pursuant to an Act passed in the fifty-first year of His Majesty King George III, intituled, "An Act for taking an account of the population of Great Britain, and of the increase or diminution thereof"

Published by H.M.S.O. 1811

* * * * * * * * * * *
(I have begun with the explanation of how the early census figures were compiled with an Enumeration Abstract and a Parish Register Abstract, then the summary for Great Britain followed by that for Penwith which includes Morvah)

* * * * * * * * * * *

Enumeration Abstract.

The Questions, by means of which the Number of Houses, Families, and Persons was to be ascertained. were Seven in number ; viz.

QUESTIONS addressed to the OVERSEERS in England ; and to the SCHOOLMASTERS in Scotland ;

Who are respectively required to take an Account of the Resident Population, by proceeding from House to House on the Twenty-seventh Day of May One thousand eight hundred and eleven, and on the Days immediately subsequent thereto, if one Day shall not be sufficient ;  and they are also required to specify in Writing the Name of the Parish or Place in the Schedule, and whether it be usually called a Parish, Township, Tything, Quarter, or by what other Denomination.

1st    How many Inhabited Houses are there in your Parish, Township, or Place ; and by how many families are they occupied ?

2nd  How many Houses are now building, and therefore not yet inhabited ? 

3rd   How many other Houses are uninhabited ?

4th   What Number of Families in your Parish, Township, or Place are chiefly employed in and maintained by Agriculture ; how many Families are chiefly employed in and maintained by Trade, Manufactures, or Handicraft ; and how many Families are not comprized in either of the two predceeding Classes ?

N.B. The total Number of Families in Answer to this Question, must correspond with the Number of Families in Answer to the 1st Question.

5th   How many Persons (including Children of whatever Age) are there actually found within the limits of your Parish, Township, or Place, at the Time of Taking this Account, distinguishing Males and Females, exclusive of Men actually serving in His Majesty's Regular Forces, in the Old Militia, or in any Embodied Local Militia, and exclusive of Seaman either in His Majesty's Service or belonging to Registered Vessels ?

6th   Referring to the Number of Persons in 1801, To what Cause do you attribute any remarkable Differences in the Number at present ?

7th   Are there any other Matters, which you may think it necessary to remark, in Explanation of your Answers to any of the proceeding Questions ?

Parish Register Abstract.

THE Second object of the Populations Acts of 1801 and 1811 was to ascertain the Increase of Diminution of the Population by means of the PARISH REGISTERS ; and to effect this object certain Questions were appointed to be answered by the Officiating Ministers of every Church and Chapel in England and Wales.  The former Population Act extended to Scotland also ; but it appeared in the sequel, that few Registers are kept in the Country, only 99 Returns having been received in consequence of the Act of1801 : so that it was useless to repeat that part of it.

The Questions respecting the Parish Registers were as follows :

QUESTIONS addressed to the OFFICIATING MINISTERS in England, by whom a Return is to be made to the Bishop on or before the Twentieth Day of June One thousand eight hundred and eleven.

1st    What was the Number of Baptisms and Burials in your Parish, Township, or Place, in the several Years 1801, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 ; distinguishing Males from Females ?

2nd   What has been the Number of Marriages in your Parish, Township, or Place, in the several Years 1801, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 ?

3rd    Are there any Matters, which you think it necessary to remark, in Explanation of your Answers to either of the proceeding Questions ; especially, Whether any and what Annual Average Number of Baptisms, Burials, and Marriages, may (in your Opinion) take place in your Parish, without being entered in the Parish Register ?

The SUMMARY of the ENUMERATION of 1801,

as compared with that of 1811 is as follows :

	Population 1801			Increase	Population 1811
	Males	Females	Total		Males	Females	Total
England	3,987,935	4,343,499	8,331,434	1,207,393	4,575,763	4,963,064	9,538,827
Wales	257,178	284,368	541,546	70,242	291,633	320,155	611,788
Scotland	734,581	864,487	1,599,068	206,620	826,191	979,497	1,805,688
Army& Navy &c.	470,598		470,598	169,902	640,500		640,500
Totals	5,450,292	5,492,354	10,942,646	1,654,157	6,334,087	6,262,716	12,596,803

SUMMARY of the ENUMERATION of 1811 for PENWITH

Parish, Township, or Extra Parochial Place		HOUSES				OCCUPATIONS			PERSONS
		Inhabitated	By How Many Families Oc- cupied	Build- ing	Unihabitated	Families Chiefly Employed in Agriculture	Families Chiefly Employed in Trade Manufatures Handicraft	All Other Families Not Comprized In the two Proceeding CLASSES	MALES	FEMALES	TOTAL PERSONS
Penwith
Buryan St.	Parish	210	218	4	7	210	7	1	523	665	1,188
Camborne	Parish	873	939	4	14	135	134	670	2,274	2,440	4,714
Crowan	Parish	466	530	3	12	139	18	373	1,507	1,514	3,021
Erth St.	Parish	244	255	4	2	59	38	158	666	651	1,317
Gulval	Parish	240	248	1	8	168	62	18	568	656	1,224
Gwinear	Parish	369	377	4	4	76	31	270	962	990	1,952
Gwithian	Parish	72	75	-	-	44	25	6	194	178	372
Hilary St - (k)	Parish	433	449	2	4	84	362	3	634	614	1,248
Illogan	Parish	751	803	23	19	154	544	105	1,947	2,131	4,078
Ive's St	Borough and Parish	712	748	12	15	76	144	528	1,532	1,749	3,281
Just St	Parish	598	635	2	8	63	52	520	1,545	1,512	3,057
Lelant (Uny)	Parish	209	233	2	9	74	15	144	585	593	1,180
Levan St	Parish	82	86	-	2	73	8	5	183	251	434
Ludgvan	Parish	268	310	3	1	89	28	193	664	827	1,491
Madron	Parish	315	340	-	4	169	55	116	856	961	1,817
Marazion - (k)	Parish	184	184	-	11	20	31	133	425	597	1,022
MORVAH	Parish	55	58	1	2	41	-	17	138	135	273
Paul	Parish	623	684	2	18	166	501	17	1,572	1,799	3,371
Penzance	Parish	772	858	10	12	50	39	769	1,632	2,390	4,022
Purran Ultmoe	Parish	124	124	2	1	20	5	99	317	309	626
Phillack	Parish	369	403	16	1	27	356	20	1,038	1,081	2,119
Redruth	Parish	844	1,162	9	26	95	202	865	2,774	3,129	5,903
Sancreed or St Creed	Parish	162	164	-	7	105	58	1	365	425	790
St Michaels Mount	Parish or Extra P	45	45	-	3	-	7	38	64	61	125
Sennen	Parish	95	102	-	5	95	7	-	211	284	495
Towednack	Parish	99	100	-	2	57	2	41	265	267	532
Zennor	Parish	129	133	4	10	77	43	13	350	311	671
TOTALS		9,352	10,263	107	212	2,366	2,774	5,121	23,801	26,522	50,323