In vividly describing his neighbours as "bas***ds", "pros******s" and "syphilitic paupers", Isaac Norris Hunt could almost be depicted as the 1861 version of a gossip columnist.
A data collector for Stow-on-the-Wold in the 1861 national census, Mr Hunt took a rather overzealous approach to his task of collating the data on his fellow Gloucestershire residents.
Along with the vigorous observations of I.N. Hunt, The National Archives in Kew has unveiled the complete name, birthplace and occupation of residents across all 52 counties of England and Wales in 1861. You can trace the lives of ancestors through five consecutive censuses to 1901 at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/census
A railway manager by profession, Mr Hunt took the opportunity to add some highly personal remarks when entering the occupation of his neighbours:
- Several are listed as pros******s including Emma Cook aged 19 and the 64-year old Mary Newman
- Eliza Williams is said to be 'kept' by her 'paramour' William Clapton
- The unfortunate Hannah Cokey is described as a 'pauper, syphilitic'
- William Shall was an 'absconding bankrupt'
- Elizabeth Wixey 'cohabits with a man'
- and the two young sons of the 'very doubtful' Lavinia Collicott are described rather bluntly as 'bas***ds'.
Unsurprisingly, Isaac Hunt does not appear to have undertaken the role of enumerator in any of the later censuses, which are now held at The National Archives.
The 19th century online censuses - delivered by Ancestry.co.uk in association with The National Archives - allow the life of a single ordinary person to be traced over the four decades (1861-1891).
Thomas Hawkes provides an example of an individual's progression from apprentice to master of his trade. Four successive census returns tell the story of his success.
* Thomas was born in Paddington, London in 1841. In 1861, Thomas was living with his aunt and uncle and working as a 'Grocer's Assistant' but by the 1871 census he was married and a 'Grocer & Draper' in Rayne, with his own apprentice and a general servant living in. By the time of the 1881 census he had progressed further still: his occupation was given as 'Grocer and Draper (Master) employing 3 men - Postmaster' and he was also employing a governess as well as a general domestic servant. The 1891 census shows Thomas as a widower, with a housekeeper, a grocer's assistant and a general servant. His second son, William Edgar Hawkes, was eventually to take over the business from him.
A few famous names from the 1861 census:
Queen Victoria
At the time of the 1861 census, Queen Victoria was living at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight with Prince Albert and seven of their children, including the 19-year old future King Edward VII. This entry is of particular interest as it is a rare instance of a husband (in this case, Albert) being listed in the 'Relation to Head' column. Victoria is listed as the head of the household.
Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson)
Lewis Carroll, the children's author, mathematician and clergyman, was somewhat handicapped in his clerical career by a fairly severe stammer. The character of the Dodo in Alice's Adventures In Wonderland is thought to have been based on the author and is a parody of his attempts to say his own name; "Do-Do-Dodgson". He was so concerned about the stammer that he made a number of visits to a variety of speech therapists, most notably a Dr James Hunt. The 1861 census finds Dodgson staying with Dr Hunt at Ore House near Hastings. Dr Hunt is described as a Psellismolligist - a psellism is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as "any defect of enunciation, as stammering, lisping, etc., due either to nervous affection or to malformation of the vocal organs."
Thomas Hardy
In 1861, Thomas Hardy was living in his native Stinsford in Dorset with his parents (Thomas and Jemima). Thomas junior's occupation was given as 'Architect's Clerk' and Hardy used his experiences in this area to good effect, most notably in Jude the Obscure where the main character followed the same profession.
Josh Hanna of Ancestry.co.uk said, "Interest in family history is rapidly growing and Ancestry.co.uk offers the most comprehensive census records available online. Census records are the most popular way to search for your relatives because they contain so much information that really brings your ancestors and their everyday lives to life. We have created an online community that allows people not only to search original official records quickly from the convenience of their own home but also to exchange information with fellow users."
James Strachan of The National Archives said, "The launch of the 1861 census completes a chain of historical data from five consecutive decades, providing a valuable and accessible online starting point for delving into your family history."
Notes to Editors:
- Access to the online 1861 census is on a Pay-Per-View basis. This works on a pre-paid credit system where £6.99 provides 20 page view credits to use within 7 days. Credits can be used to view digital images of the original returns or a transcript. Subscription packages offering unlimited access to all data within Ancestry's UK & Ireland Collection (more than 185 million names and 3.5 million images of census, marriage and baptism records are included) are also available at £69.95 annually and £29.95 quarterly. All prices are exclusive of VAT payable by all EU residents. You can pay by credit card and Visa Delta.
- The co-branded service is operated under an 'enhanced' licensing arrangement which builds on The National Archives' existing licence with MyFamily.com Inc. The MyFamily.com proposal was selected following a competitive evaluation process and demonstrates The National Archives' commitment to putting its most popular record series online.
- MyFamily.com, Inc. provides the largest and most popular collection of online information for connecting families with their histories and with one another. The MyFamily network of web-based products includes MyFamily.com, Ancestry.com, Ancestry.co.uk, Genealogy.com, and RootsWeb.com. The company also publishes Family Tree Maker, the no.1 selling family tree software, Ancestry Magazine, Genealogical Computing Magazine, over 50 book titles, and numerous databases on CD-ROM.
- The National Archives, Kew, www.nationalarchives.gov.uk has one of the largest archival collections in the world, spanning 1000 years of British history, from Domesday Book to newly released government papers. The free museum and reading rooms in Kew, west London, are open to the public 6 days a week.
- The National Archives' Document Online website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline was launched last year, when many documents such as Shakespeare's will and Churchill's First World War medal card were made available online. The website provides access to The National Archives' collection of digitised public records, including family history sources such as wills, First World War Army medal cards and Second World War Seamen's medal records.QinetiQ plc, under a private finance initiative contract with The National Archives, manages the 1901 census website and this contract will run to 2012. The 1901 census is also available at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/census
For press enquiries, or interviews, please contact:
Stuart Brennan for The National Archives on 020 8392 5277 or e-mail
Stuart.Brennan@nationalarchives.gov.uk