There are also a number of "quasi-censuses", usually very localised and only carried out on a one-off basis, which have come into existence for a variety of reasons.
For instance, following the Great Fire of Potton in 1783 (which destroyed about half the town), there was a nationwide appeal to establish a relief fund, which eventually paid out 16s in the £ on most uninsured loss claims - which isn't a bad dividend.
The accounting for the fund has survived, and provides a snapshot of the inhabitants of Potton in 1783 - or, at least, of those who suffered uninsured losses. You get their name and occupation, the loss they claimed to have suffered and the dividend that was paid to them. I have one direct ancestor and one other near relative listed there.
As with all historical records, it is important to understand what the record actually is, and when, why, how and by whom it was made, in order properly to construe its meaning.
There are many other such local one-off lists of inhabitants, and they can all be useful in telling us something about our ancestors' lives.
