Derbyshire Early Census Returns, 1695-1863
Delve into this collection of nearly two centuries worth of early census returns for Derbyshire, which can help you to make new discoveries about your family before the introduction of the modern census in 1841. The collection covers records for areas such as Melbourne, Hollington, Offerton and Mackworth and could be the key to unlocking new branches of your family tree.
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Delve into this collection of nearly two centuries worth of early census returns for Derbyshire, which can help you to make new discoveries about your family before the introduction of the modern census in 1841. The collection covers records for areas such as Melbourne, Hollington, Offerton and Mackworth and could be the key to unlocking new branches of your family tree.
Learn more about these records
Each record includes a transcript of the original document. While details can vary for each record, you can expect to find a combination of the following facts:
- Name
- Year
- Event date
- Place
- County
- Additional notes
- Household reference
This collection is published in partnership with Derbyshire Family History Society and the Family History Federation.
Census records are one of the main cornerstones of genealogical research and census’ have been carried out throughout the world for thousands of years before the introduction of the modern census as we know it today. The first thorough survey of England took place in 1086 when William the Conqueror commissioned the Domesday Book, which provided a detailed inventory of land and property. Unlike a modern census, however, the Domesday Book didn’t give an accurate count of the people living in England then. Its purpose was to establish the ownership of assets in order to calculate taxes on these assets.
The first ‘official national census’ in Great Britain took place on the 10th of March 1801, which gathered basic statistical headcounts. In 1841, officials would start recording names, ages and occupations on census returns and therefore the 1841 census is widely regarded as the first ‘modern’ census for its recording of specific personal details.
Earlier, more scattered and ‘unofficial’ census returns do exist for many areas of England, such as this collection for Derbyshire. These returns can be extremely useful for tracking basic details about your ancestor and where they were residing in a time before the modern census or civil registration, during time periods where genealogical research can prove more difficult due to lack of the written record.