Aince ye stert raikin the statutor births, deiths and mairrages it’ll no be lang afore ye come tae lippen on the census forby. The census, or heid coont o the hail populace, gaes back til ancient times an wis the wey that states reckont the nummer o fowk that shuid be stentit an taxt. In 1755 twa meenisters o the kirk, cryed Alisaunder Wabster an Robert Wallace, heidit Scotland’s first national census bi gait o the ither meenisters that gaithert in the nummers o fowk in thair sindry parochs. Awthegither a feegur o 1, 265, 000 fowk wis returnt for the hail o Scotland or aboot ane fift o whit it is the day. The names o individual bodies wisna recordit but raither the nummer o kinds o treds an whit releegions wis appearant.

In 1801 the first census for the hail o the Unitit Kinrik wis held an the job o takkin doun the nummers wis gien tae the parochial scuilmaisters an session clerks. The ettle o this census wis tae win at the nummer o fowk in the hail UK, ages, sexes an treds, an hoo the populace wis spreid, an aince this wis gaithert in the oreeginal papers wis for ordnar done awa wi. Hooanever, a puckle scuilmaisters an clerks held on tae thair leets an jottings for this an the follaein twa-three census speirs that wis noo held ilka ten year, as in 1811, 1821, 1831 an sensyne. Whaur thir leets daes win ower thay gie the name o the heid o the hoose, whaur thay bade, an the nummer o bodies in thair hoose (tho no thair names), an whiles the cawing or tred. The reason that thir papers wis keepit wis appearinly tae dae wi makkin catechist an communion leets. But fae 1841 onwards the census gies the name o ilka body in a hoose on the census nicht, thair ages, whit kind o wark thay did an whither or no thay war born in the shire whaur thay bade or belanged anither kintra. Fae 1851 wis eikit the important facts o hoo a body wis sib tae the heid o the hoose an whither thay war mairried, unmairried or a weeda.

It will be weel seen that the census returns, an in parteeclar fae 1841 an 1851 afore statutor inrowment o birth, deiths an mairrages, is gey an haundy for faimly history. Whaur the’r mibby nae record o the births o some forebears afore 1855, either throu loss o registers, or acause thay war seceders fae the main kirk, or belanged ither releegions, the census will gie ages an some notion o whaur a body wis born. But caw cannie wi the statit ages. Affen fowk cuidna mind jist hoo auld thay war, a puckle lee’d, an in 1841 the census takars jist roondit the ages up. As statit awready, ye micht find that the session clerk keepit census papers fae afore 1841 an thay will affen be fund amang the kirk session registers. Some o the bigger touns an cities, like Dundee an Glesca, haes a puckle census an census-like speirs for the early 19t century or afore, sae speir at thae city register-hooses tae get mair wittins.

Sib tae the census is anither kind o record that wis taen ilka year an stertin in 1855. This wis the valuation rowe or catalogue. Valuation rowes wis pit thegither bi the burgh an shire cooncils for the ettle o stentin property for tae pey for aw the publict burdens. Thir muckle registers for ordnar will state ilka individual hoose or subject, the name o the body that owned it, an the names, treds or poseetions o aw the tenants an whit thay peyed in rent. Tho it isna a census, it can be used tae find fowk atween the census years, an it will gie ye a bittie information anent yer forebears’ social stauning. The valuation rowes can be fund either at yer toun or city register-hoose or at the National register-hoose in Embra.

Alang wi the census an valuation rowes anither source that can be gey uissfae is the toun or shire prognostic or almanac whiles kent in Inglis as a street directory. Thir buiks first kythed in Scotland fae the late 18ct century, stertin in the bigger touns, an gied aw kin kind o information, sic as calendars, dates, names an offices o publict offeecials, clubs an organisations, cairriers, stage coaches, ships an ship owners or the duties peyable on guids an geir. But abuin aw, for the faimly historian, thir buiks leetit mony o the heids o hooses, gauin bi the alphabee, the nummer an place o thair hoose, an whit social stauning thay haed. Bi the mid 19t century the information gien is gey detailt an fowk fae aw social clesses can be fund. The prognostic or street directory will be held for ordnar at yer toun leebrar amang its history warks.

Photie abuin: a census sheet fae 1871 (National Registers o Scotland).