Why was the age rounded down in 1841 UK census?

[PEM07]

We are told how enumerators were expected to round the ages down only in the 1841 census, but does anyone know why?
Does documentation exist anywhere that explains why?
Just curious...
Would be interested in your thoughts
Thank you
Philip

[CaroleW]

I used Google

See http://www.british-genealogy.com/forums/showthread.php/47613-Ages-in-1841-census

The census was for statistical purposes, and at that time the organizers decided that they wanted to collect and present the data about adults in groups of ages, such as 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, etc. Rather than do the grouping when they analysed the data, they decided to have the enumerators do it when they collected the information. Hence the rounding down.

[PEM07]

Thank you CaroleW
I did try Google, but didn't find your result.
Well done. Hope you will share how you found it.
Each enumerator seemed to have his own interpretation of the instructions as many variations exist.
It is amusing to find the Smedley family in Nottingham have three children aged 5 in 1841;
the same children in the 1851 are listed as 14, 16 and 18.
Thanks again
Philip

[stanmapstone]

You can see the report on ages from the 1841 census at  http://www.rootschat.com/links/0vn0/

Stan

[alanmack]

That's a very interesting link Stan. Thanks. Do you not think a touch of pragmatism was applied too. Many of the illiterate, innumerate population would have been pretty unsure of their own ages to within a five year bracket, so any attempt to be more specific in the Census would have been futile and made the enumerators job more difficult and time consuming.

Alan

[carol8353]

The census was for statistical purposes, and at that time the organizers decided that they wanted to collect and present the data about adults in groups of ages, such as 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, etc. Rather than do the grouping when they analysed the data, they decided to have the enumerators do it when they collected the information. Hence the rounding down.

There are a few 1831 censuses that exist in parts of London,and that is exactly all they show,how many people in each household that fit into the above age groups.They were only concerned in knowing the spread of people in an area,not their names or exact ages in 1831.
Seems as though the 1841 was along similiar (but with extras!) lines.

[stanmapstone]

1821 Census
The census on 28 May was the first to measure the age of the population (in five-year and ten-year age groups). It revealed that almost half of the population was under 20 years old (compared with around a quarter today).
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/census/2011/census-history/200-years-of-the-census/1801-1901/index.html

Stan

[stanmapstone]

The introduction to this paper http://www.essex.ac.uk/history/Staff_Research/working-papers/MW-RW-BM.pdf gives a description of the 1801-1831 censuses

Stan

[Nifty1]

I suppose that many wonder about the reason for rounding down
I was wondering about other sources of data and found the following
https://books.google.com.au/books?id=I8KOAbT17H0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false