1921 CENSUS

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Currie
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1921 CENSUS

Post by Currie » Sun Jul 04, 2021 12:59 am

Here’s some new news about the 1921 census, even though it’s pretty old news.


Aberdeen Journal, Saturday, June 11, 1921

CENSUS ARRANGEMENTS IN ABERDEEN.
WORK STARTS ON MONDAY.

Everything is in readiness for the taking of the census in Aberdeen on Sunday week. The enumerators have been supplied by the registrars with the necessary books and documents, and the distribution of the schedules to the houses will commence on Monday.

The census should, of course, have been collected on April 24 last, but was delayed on account of the industrial emergency. The forms which were ready for that occasion are to be employed now, and to prevent confusion arising out of the change of date, etc., a printed slip with the following instructions is to be enclosed in each schedule:—

Householders and others responsible for filling up the schedules will kindly note that where “24th April” appears in the schedule it should be read as 19th June, and where “25th April” appears in the schedule it should be read as 20th June.

Thus the heading in column (A) should read as instructing that all persons in residence on the night of 19th June, or arriving on the morning of Monday, 20th June, without having been enumerated elsewhere, should be included, and No. 5 of the notice on the back of the schedule should be read as instructing that the schedules be ready for collection on Monday, 20th June.



Dundee Courier, Wednesday, June 15, 1921

TAKING THE CENSUS IN DUNDEE.
200 Enumerators at Work.

The census is to be taken on Sunday, and in Dundee about 200 enumerators, most of them ex-service men, are engaged in delivering the schedules for which they will call again at the beginning of next week.

No effort has been spared in drafting the schedule to make it as explicit as possible, even to the extent of a complete example of how to fill it up, but already the enumerators have discovered not a few elderly people who are not at all clear as to their age. One woman on being told that the necessary particulars had to be filled in on Sunday night replied with evident relief—“Thank God, it's no Setterday, because the auld man’ll be drunk.”

Any householder who has not received a schedule on Saturday morning should make a point of calling at the registrar’s office for his district in the forenoon. As far as possible, homeless persons, such as vagrants and tramps, who prefer the great white road, particularly at this season of the year, are roped in by the census: and a remarkably small proportion of the floating population of this country is overlooked.

After the schedules have been collected the enumerator has to write up the particulars in what is known as the enumeration book. When that is done he forwards the schedule and the enumeration book to the registrar for his district, who satisfies himself that the work has been accurately done, and proceeds to make up a summary giving the details for the whole of his district. All the schedules and registration books are then forwarded to the Registrar-General in Edinburgh.

In the column for particulars of birthplace and nationality the name of the county and of the town or parish in the United Kingdom has to be entered. Dundee is itself a county, but geographically it is part of Forfarshire, and for Dundee-born persons “Dundee—Forfarshire” is regarded as the correct description for census purposes.



Dundee Courier, Saturday, June 18, 1921

HOW TO FILL UP YOUR CENSUS PAPER
THE HOUSEHOLDER’S AND THE ENUMERATOR’S JOB.

The thirteenth census of Scotland falls to be taken to-morrow night. The schedule to be used contains twelve questions to be answered by the householders, and some subsidiary information to be furnished by the enumerator.

For census purposes the term “Household” includes the head of the house, his wife, children, and other relatives, and any visitors, boarders and servants who may be in the house, and particulars regarding such persons fall to be entered by the head thereof on the schedule. Lodgers are treated as separate householders.

The following is an explanation of some of the more difficult points:—In column A (name).—The names of all persons enumerated in the household fall to be entered. It is important to note that only those resident in the house and alive at midnight should be entered in this column. There, however, is one exception; namely, if a person arrives at a house on the morning of Monday the 20th June without having been enumerated elsewhere his name falls to be included in this column.

In column C (age).—The age is asked in actual completed years and completed months.

Column F (birthplace).—Asks a statement of the birthplace of every person enumerated. If this be within the United Kingdom the entry must give the name of the county in which born, with the name of the town or parish added thereto. If the person enumerated was born elsewhere than in the United Kingdom, the name of the country, with the name of the state, province, or district, is the information required. If the person happened to be born “at sea,” a statement to that effect is asked for.

Column H (Gaelic).—Deals with the speaking of Gaelic, the letter “G” being inserted against those who speak Gaelic but not English, and the letters “G” and “E” being inserted against those persons who are able to speak both Gaelic and English.

Column K (occupation).— Deals with the profession or occupation of the persons enumerated. The answering is fully explained in instructions printed on the back of the schedule.

On the back of the schedule spaces are provided for information to be filled up by the enumerator. These include a statement of the householder’s name and address and statements of the total number of windowed rooms in the house and the number of rooms in any sub-let portion.



Aberdeen Journal, Tuesday, June 21, 1921

WORRIES OF CENSUS ENUMERATORS
“Stirring the Skeleton.”
REFUSALS TO SURRENDER SCHEDULES.

The Census enumerators in Aberdeen had a busy day yesterday collecting and checking the schedules from the heads of households, hotels, boarding-houses, and institutions. The collection of the forms, according to time-table, should have been finished last night, but owing to delay caused by the necessity of correcting or amplifying much of the information, the 230 enumerators were able to accomplish only half their task, which will not now be completed before to-night.

The chief difficulty experienced was with regard to the last column, in which the number of children under 16 years of age in the families of the persons enumerated had to be recorded according to their age and irrespective of whether they were resident with their parents. The instructions applicable to this part of the schedules seemed to have been misunderstood by almost 70 per cent. of the householders and others responsible for filling them up, and the frequency of the errors hindered the progress of the enumerators.

In some cases it was found that the names of absent members of families, for instance those of men on service with the Defence Force, had been entered on the forms, and a common mistake was the failure to give a definite classification of the employment followed.

Many heads of households were obviously at a loss—no doubt reasonably so—to understand why a woman described in column B as “wife” had also to be entered in column D as “female.” The only apparent reason for the superfluity was that like the old lady in “Punch,” it was quite possible she might not be a female at all, but a Primitive Methodist. Even the wisest enumerator could not explain, however, why it was necessary to state in column E that a woman, being a wife according to column B, was married.

Conscientious Objectors.

Quite a number of cases have been reported of householders refusing to return their schedules, or surrendering them blank and declining to supply the information required. Only in one or two instances was objection taken to the Census on conscientious grounds, the majority of the refusals being by persons “agin’ the Government,” who perhaps considered their action to be a retaliation for some real or imagined grievance. The defaulters were at once reported by the enumerates to the registrars, who will call on them today and point out the futility of such conduct, particularly as there is attached to it liability to a fine of £10 for each offence.

Perhaps the only column in the schedule to which objection might be taken as being too inquisitorial is that which persons who have been separated from their husbands or wives by divorce decrees have to complete. Attached to one of the forms collected from a house in the west-end of the city was a note with the following intimation:—

I object most emphatically to inform the Registrar-General and hie satellites whether I have ever been divorced or have ever found it necessary to divorce anyone. Sleeping dogs should not be wakened, and I do not consider it desirable to stir up the skeletons in the family cupboard every ten years. If this information is vital to the existence of the State, I suggest that it may be obtained from the records of the Divorce Courts without disturbing me.

A part of one schedule was missing, and the remaining portion of the document was somewhat mutilated. The householder explained the “damage” in the following subscription to his signature:—

Dear Sir,—I am sorry the paper is a bit destroyed, but the baby got hold of it and had started to chew it before we noticed. Trusting it won't make any difference.—Yours —

The details of the schedules will he entered by the enumerators in books provided for the purpose, and the forms will be returned to the registrars on Monday next. The result of the count of the population of Aberdeen will be known some days later, but the full preliminary report of the Census will not be issued till mid-August.



Dundee Courier, Tuesday, June 21, 1921

DUNDEE’S CENSUS EXPERIENCES.
How City Police “Improved ” Occasion.

Although the worries of the average householder in Dundee concerning the census ceased when the schedule had been completed, those of the census workers have still barely begun.

The enumerators were early afoot yesterday, and by night practically every schedule had been collected. Although the bulk of the public had shown very intelligent interest in the whole count a large proportion of the schedules were not satisfactory.

The enumerators, however, were more inclined to see the humour of the situation than to “cut up rough,” and as the bulk of the householders were anxious to put everything right the necessary corrections were easily made.

It was remarkable how many persons were anxious that no one should know their affairs. Few would trust their neighbours with the completed forms; some even distrusted the enumerators; and there was a steady stream of persons all day to the registrars’ offices to hand in themselves the all-important schedule.

“The amount of illiteracy I’ve seen to-day,” remarked one enumerator of one poorer-class district, ‘passes description.” An instance of this was afforded by the appearance of an Irishwoman at one police office. She explained that she could neither read nor write and neither could any of her family. Who was to fill up the schedule? The police recommended her to seek the assistance of some neighbour or await the arrival of the enumerator.

How Police Assisted.

Requested by the census authorities to assist in the enumeration of vagrants, &c., Dundee police sought effectively to improve the occasion. Persons wandering the streets late on Sunday night were closely questioned, and those unable to give a satisfactory account of themselves were taken into custody. Raids on several “uninhabited” houses also produced prisoners. They were enumerated for census purposes in the prison cells and charged in Court yesterday morning with vagrancy or trespass!

Remarkable forgetfulness was sometimes shown, children of tender age being in some cases entirely omitted from the schedule.

While explaining to a group of inquirers on Saturday the manner of completing the schedule a registrar remarked concerning the birthplace column. “Say you were born in High Street, it would be ‘Forfar County, |Dundee.’” “And what about me?” inquired a listener in all seriousness. “I was born in Tay Street.”



Dundee Courier, Wednesday, June 22, 1921

CENSUS HUMOUR IN DUNDEE.
Puzzles for the Enumerators.

“An experience I would not have missed” was how one Dundee enumerator described his census work, and not a few of his colleagues have had as interesting times.

A lady who is a member of half-a-dozen committees, honorary secretary to two associations, and an energetic slum worker, was in doubt as to her occupation. So was the enumerator, but they had no alternative save to make it “home duties,” although these occupy but a part of her time.

Frankly acknowledging himself as a beggar, one man said he had not worked for years, and asked what occupation he should give. The enumerator was puzzled. “Let’s make it ‘charity organiser,’ suggested the frank mendicant.

One enumerator was early afoot in search of his schedules, but was amazed to be greeted—“You’re rather late, aren’t you? I expected you at midnight yesterday.” The householder had completed the schedule on the Sunday evening, and remained up until twelve o'clock to hand it to the enumerator!

The employment column afforded some humour. One schedule contained the puzzling word, “Bistie’s,” Translated it was “Don Bros., Buist, & Co., Ltd.”

Several of the many Italians resident in Dundee found the task of completing the schedule beyond them and enlisted the aid of the enumerator. Language difficulties worried one official considerably. The Italian saw a joke in every question, and with difficulty were the necessary particulars obtained.

Few people, however, can have equalled the record of a middle-aged man. He asked the assistance of the enumerator. “You see, sir, I’ve been in prison the last four times, and the first time I was too young to remember about!”



Evening Telegraph, Dundee, Wednesday, June 22, 1921

THE GOLDEN AGE.
Too Many Women of 25.

It is in the matter of age that a slight element of fiction appears now and then in the census schedules; for careful study reveals that there are more of the fair sex aged about 25 than can be accounted for.

Women of 25 in 1921 must have been 15 in 1911: but the women entered in the returns as 25 have at previous censuses exceeded the young girls of 15, of whom they should be only the naturally diminished survivors!

It may be offered as a partial explanation that 25 is looked upon as the golden age for matrimony, to be older than which means the facing at once the possibility of remaining an old maid.



Southern Reporter, Selkirk, Thursday, June 23, 1921

The taking of the Census among the show folk was not without its humorous side. The nomadic character of these people rendered it necessary to adopt special means for numbering them. They were too busy to be approached on Saturday night when the fair was in full swing, so the enumerator dealt with them on Sunday before they treked for
distant places. He managed to include the tattooed lady in the population of Selkirk; the fat boy escaped him and was well on the way to Greenock before the enumeration began.



Aberdeen Journal, Monday, June 27, 1921

BURGLAR REPENTS.
HOMILY, BREAKFAST AND “TIP” FROM ALDERMAN.

A strange encounter between an alderman and a thief came to light on Saturday at Bristol. On the morning after Census day a young man called on the alderman and, producing a silver spoon, said, “I’ve come to give myself up, sir.” He explained that on the previous night he had entered the house, taken the spoon, and then fallen asleep beneath a sofa.
Awakening before the family in the morning, he let himself out. His conscience, however, had forced him to return.
After a homily on honesty and a good breakfast the alderman gave him 5s and sent him away.
The problem is—Should the alderman have included the contrite thief in his Census return, since the man spent the night in his house?



Hope all that was newsworthy,
Alan

AndrewP
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Re: 1921 CENSUS

Post by AndrewP » Sun Jul 04, 2021 7:30 am

The 2021 census in Scotland was also delayed - by a year and is planned to take place in March 2022 due to Covid-19. The census took place on its planned 2021 date in England, Wales and (I think) Northern Ireland. For genealogists, this could give two anomalous conditions compared to other censuses, where someone moved from Scotland to elsewhere in the UK during the year between March 2021 and 2022, or where someone moved from elsewhere in the UK to Scotland in that same year. In the first case, they would not be enumerated in a census in 2021-2022 (a loss to the genealogist); in the second case they would be enumerated in both censuses (a bonus for the genealogist).

All the best,

AndrewP

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