cen 9 1861 census Ball Green, Stoke-on-Trent

The 1851 is the first census that is reliable especially regarding the ages, even so many parents had no idea how old their children were as birthdays were not celebrated as they are now.
Not only useful for family research, but this census gives an insight to the very nature of workhouses, the break-up of families just to survive. A study of each location of birth gives data regarding areas of poverty or unemployment. Other areas can be identified as wealthy. The grouping of ages also gives remarkable results for students of humanities. Lastly the gender balance in certain areas can be identified.

This contribution to the history of the southern part of Stoke-on-Trent is invaluable to those keen to learn about the dark side of life for many.  This census is on an Excel programme therefore details can be sorted to supply records in either age, name, gender, status, occupation and place of birth order. There are 804 in total of staff and inmates and with the facility of Excel enables many calculations to be evaluated.

As an additional resource that compliments census returns; the Rates Valuation is a wonderful addition to enable and identify in a rational and economic way as to the ratable value of a property and linked into the data in particular the occupations of those in the census returns. Make a good project for a school/college to identify the status of people as indicated by property size and ratable value as well as a local history study group.