Census References - Take Care!!

[Arranroots]

Hi Folks

Reading through threads recently it occurs to me that there is now (I suppose always has been) a hazard in the way that censuses are referenced.

Later censuses which have been widely available for some time now, were given distinct RG references, which enable the user to tell at a glance which year the census is from.

RG13 = 1901

RG12 = 1891

RG11 = 1881     etc

Both 1841 and 1851 censuses were given a reference beginning HO107.

Hence potential for confusion!  If a census look-up contains ALL the information from that census, then 1841 can be distinguished from 1851 by the lack of a place of birth.  It might not be apparent to the person posting the results of a look-up that anyone reading it cannot tell which census they are reading!

Can I suggest that 1841/ 1851 census look-up results are accompanied by "1841 census" or "1851 census" to make things clear?

At first I thought it would not matter - but try reading a few posts asking for look-ups from more than one year and you will see what I mean!

Arranroots (closet pedant!!) 

[Su]

You can come out of the closet now Arranroots it's 2005 

Well !  I had no idea what the Letters meant... I've only been researching for 3 years 

Thanks for the advice...I always put the date on the heading before the number so the person knows what year I am referring to, though some don't.  When I look at some replies without the dates, I do often wonder which census they are referring to, that's because and I not as alert as you, o knowledgeable one  (do I knock off the 'e' in that, it's not in my dictionary)?

Love
Su xxx

['Tricia]

closet pedant

Don't think so

Tricia

[Arranroots]

OK Tricia - out of the closet now, well and truly!! 

I see the government have today decided to divest themselves of the Office for National Statistics.  I wonder what the implication of that might be for censuses etc?

Knowledgeable is fine, Su - although inaccurate - I don't know what RG stand for.  i imagine HO means Home Office?

A 

[trish251]

I don't know what RG stand for.  i imagine HO means Home Office?

It was mentioned on one of the  1911 census discussions that it comes under the control of the Registrar General - thus presumably RG

Trish

[Arranroots]

Ah thanks Trish - NOW I am knowledgeable!! 

['Tricia]

Yes, time to bow down to the Tricia/Trisha/Trish brigade, methinks

Unsigned

[Little Nell]

You are correct, girls, RG stands for Registrar General and HO for Home Office.  They are the class prefixes for records at the National Archives.  So a few others for you that you may have come across, especially if you have military ancestors, WO is War Office, ADM is Admiralty.

By giving the full reference e.g. RG9/1234/56 p7 (heaven knows where that may be if it exists!) you indicate the unique identifier which would enable anyone going to TNA to find the original document.  If you add the schedule number as well, you narrow it down to perhaps as little as 1 line on the page.

That's why the references can be so important 

Nell

[trish251]

Yes, time to bow down to the Tricia/Trisha/Trish brigade, methinks
Unsigned

      

Trish

Thanks Nell - when my dream of getting to the NA happens - I'll need all those codes