THE FIRST PROPERLY ORGANISED CENSUS IN IRELAND COMMENCED IN 1821, AND,
THEREAFTER, WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS, A CENSUS WAS TAKEN EVERY TEN YEARS.
Sadly, most of the 1841-1891 returns were pulped into waste paper during
the First World War or were destroyed later during the Irish Civil War.
But, returns for a small number of parishes have still survived;
1821 - This census was organised by townland, civil parish, barony and
county and took place on 28 May 1821. Almost all the original returns
were destroyed in 1922, with only a few volumes surviving for County
Fermanagh. PRONI Ref No MIC 5A and MIC 15A.
1831 - This census was also organised by townland, civil parish, barony
and county. It also includes the name, age, occupation and religion of
the occupants. Very little of this census survives, with most of the
remaining fragments relating to County Derry; viz
MIC 5A/6 Barony of Coleraine; MIC 5A/ and 7 City of Derry; MIC 5A/8
Barony of Loughlinsholin; MIC 5A/9 Barony of Tirkeeran.
1841 - This census taken on 6 June 1841, followed the general pattern as
that of 1831, but, the returns were compiled by the householders
themselves rather than official enumerators. Sadly, no part of the
census for Northern Ireland has survived. The 1841 census was the
earliest to be of use when the Old Age Pensions were introduced in the
early 20th century. Copies of the household returns from 1851 were
sometimes used as proof of age.
The forms containing the results of the searches have survived and are
available for public inspection. Ref No T.550. A few individual returns
can be found in MIC 15A.
1851 - This census taken on 30 March 1851, added a column for religious
affiliation. The surviving returns relate mostly to Co Antrim. The
comments on transcripts of the 1841 census apply also to 1851. Ref No
MIC 5A/11-26. MIC 15A is useful for some individual return covering
various parts of Ulster.
1861, 1871, 1881 and 1891 - The census records for this period were
destroyed by orders of the British Government during WW1. Nothing
survives for the Northern Ireland area. A blunder of the first
magnitude?
--
John Caughey
john.caughey(a)demon.co.uk