From Rootsweb Review -- 11 Feb. 2004
Betty Pace
1b. EDITOR'S DESK. Missing from Home in the British Census
When searching for British ancestors in the censuses it is helpful
to know that its 1841 census was taken on 7 June, but from 1851 through
1931, this was done between 31 March and 8 April. Enumerators were
instructed to list only those persons who spent the night in each
household when the census was taken. Those traveling, at boarding
schools, or working away from home are listed where they spent the
night. A missing person in a family group in any of the census returns
might also be explained by the fact that the person was in the hospital,
in prison, or in service. Soldiers and sailors serving abroad are not
included in their home censuses.
You can explore "200 Years of the Census" and its 38 area monitors
covering England and Wales, which take into account that county
boundaries have changed just like the census itself. See what kind of
homes people had, the type of jobs, the move from the countryside to the
towns, the decline in the size of households and much more, plus
historical facts that have emerged from 200 years of census taking.
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/bicentenary/bicent2.html
For additional information about utilizing census records wherever your
ancestors roamed, see "Census Related Sites Worldwide"
http://www.cyndislist.com/census2.htm
and "Census Records" in the RootsWeb's Guide to Tracing Family Trees:
http://rwguide.rootsweb.com/lesson9.htm