Censuses in Ceylon ?

[dutch missmarple]

Hi all,
Did they have censuses in Ceylon ?
My grandmother was born there. Her mother  ( francis Winifred Corteling, nee Ambrose) was a widow when she married in 1898 Albert Thomas Wilson. Thought that maybe I could find her before 1898 if they had censuses in Ceylon.

Any help grately appreciated.

Thank you.

Dutch MissMarple

[stanmapstone]

You can't compare the UK censuses with those carried out  in the Empire.The scope of the censuses and the administrative purposes for which the information was collected varied greatly in the different British Colonies and Dependencies, and had to be limited to what the local conditions and populations would allow, and therefore there was no uniformity.  They were mainly carried out for statistical reasons and were usually just a head count.
There is the Census of Ceylon for 1891 published in three volumes  http://www.rootschat.com/links/01f9d/ but it will just be a list of various statistics

Stan

[dutch missmarple]

Thanks Stan.
Unfortunately another dead end.
How about BMD records ? Any good (free) sites ?

DMM

[barryd]

I have done quite extensive research in Ceylon and records are available IN Ceylon and records are available FOR Ceylon. (The latter for the wealthier ones only).

Baptisms, marriages and burials/deaths. Web Site below:

http://www.genealogysrilanka.com/author/eileen-hewson/

Census Records England/Wales normally give Ceylon as the place of birth. 1901/1911 are more likely to give town in Ceylon.

Birth dates (hopefully correct) given on later death certificates England/Wales for those who left Ceylon and returned to England/Wales.

Married St. Peter's Fort Church, Colombo, Ceylon, 5 October 1886, Edward George Creasy and Julia Gertrude Crozier. The Law Times, London and the Times, London. Parish Records possibly lost!

Births in newspapers that are sometimes possible to tie up with people - sometimes not. 12 April 1888, Galle, Ceylon, Mrs. E. Creasy, a son. Times of London, 1 May 1888.

Wills: Many of those who died in Ceylon had their Wills probated in England/Wales.

[nanny jan]

Hi,

You might find some help here:

http://www.fibis.org/


Nanny Jan