1841 United Kingdom census

Census 1841

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Map of the United Kingdom (1843)
General information
CountryUnited Kingdom
Results
Total population26,709,456 (Increase 11.2%)
Most populous ​cityLondon (1,870,727)[1]

The United Kingdom Census of 1841 recorded the occupants of every United Kingdom household on the night of Sunday 6 June 1841.[2] The enactment of the Population Act 1840 meant a new procedure was adopted for taking the 1841 census. It was described as the "first modern census" as it was the first to record information about every member of the household, and administered as a single event, under central control, rather than being devolved to a local level. It formed the model for all subsequent UK censuses, although each went on to refine and expand the questions asked of householders.

It was important for early demographic analysis of the United Kingdom population and remains of interest to historians, demographers and genealogists, although the information about each person is quite limited compared with that available from later censuses.

The total population of the United Kingdom in 1841 was 26,709,456.[3] The population of England, Wales and Scotland was recorded as 18,534,332,[4] while the 1841 census of Ireland recorded its population as 8,175,124.

  1. ^ "Victorian London - Populations - Census - total population of London". VictorianLondon.org. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Census records". The National Archives. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  3. ^ "The United Kingdom, Population and Rates of Increase". VisionofBritain. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  4. ^ "1841 England, Wales & Scotland Census". FindMyPast. Retrieved 15 December 2021.