What does rooms occupied mean? 1891

[Landyman]

My apologies if this has been dealt with before - but can anyone clarify column 5 on the 1891 census. The question is: "number of rooms occupied if less than five" - what exactly is a room? Does the five include a kitchen, hallway, toilet etc? In a modern government form such a question would only apply to living rooms - toilets, kitchens entrance halls would all be excluded. Was this the case in 1891? If a person occupies four rooms does this mean four living rooms  plus kitchen and toilet (if it had one) or is it four rooms in total?
Rob

[stanmapstone]

Neither the 1891 or 1901 Census Acts, or the instructions to the householders or enumerators ever define 'room'. The householder was responsible for providing this information in 1891, but it became the enumerator's job in 1901.
The 1911 householder's schedule has;
"Write below the Number of Rooms in this Dwelling (House, Tenement, or Apartment). Count the kitchen as a room but do not count scullery, landing, lobby, closet, bathroom,  ; nor warehouse, office, shop."
See http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,584282.0.html
Stan

[Landyman]

Thank you Stan, and thanks for the link to the earlier thread.

Rob