Author Topic: 1881 Census  (Read 1345 times)

Offline Caltha

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1881 Census
« on: Monday 01 March 21 23:29 GMT (UK) »
I understand that the 1881 Census recorded Gaelic speakers, but having had a look at a few, I cant find any mention of this.  Can someone give me some pointers on how I find out if a relative was gaelic speaking?

Online Elwyn Soutter

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Re: 1881 Census
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 02 March 21 01:31 GMT (UK) »
I have looked at quite a lot of people in the 1881 Scottish census but I have never seen anything about speaking Gaelic. I don’t think that was required information.

Where did they live? You might be able to draw some general conclusions from the area.
Elwyn

Offline DonM

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Re: 1881 Census
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 02 March 21 02:07 GMT (UK) »
Not the 1881 Census but 1891, 1901 and 1911.

Don
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Offline Rosinish

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Re: 1881 Census
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 02 March 21 03:48 GMT (UK) »
You could post details of your relative here for others to help you as there are many factors which could be considered as a possibility in them being Gaelic spoken.

Annie
South Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland:- Bowie, Campbell, Cumming, Currie

Ireland:- Cullen, Flannigan (Derry), Donahoe/Donaghue (variants) (Cork), McCrate (Tipperary), Mellon, Tol(l)and (Donegal & Tyrone)

Newcastle-on-Tyne/Durham (Northumberland):- Harrison, Jude, Kemp, Lunn, Mellon, Robson, Stirling

Kettering, Northampton:- MacKinnon

Canada:- Callaghan, Cumming, MacPhee

"OLD GENEALOGISTS NEVER DIE - THEY JUST LOSE THEIR CENSUS"


Offline Caltha

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Re: 1881 Census
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 02 March 21 07:46 GMT (UK) »
There are numerous references to how Gaelic speaking was one of the queries on the 1881 census. This is just one of these but a Google search will provide many more. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/map-how-spread-scottish-gaelic-speakers-has-changed-1891-1435525%3famp
I know a lot about the family, but just not sure where this Gaelic reference is recorded on the form, or perhaps we just see part of it on Scotland’s People.

Offline GR2

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Re: 1881 Census
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 02 March 21 09:55 GMT (UK) »
On the 1891 census it's the column immediately after the one with the parish of birth. What was entered is either Gaelic or Gaelic and English. If you didn't speak Gaelic, the column was left blank.

Online Elwyn Soutter

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Re: 1881 Census
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 02 March 21 10:27 GMT (UK) »
There are numerous references to how Gaelic speaking was one of the queries on the 1881 census. This is just one of these but a Google search will provide many more. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/map-how-spread-scottish-gaelic-speakers-has-changed-1891-1435525%3famp
I know a lot about the family, but just not sure where this Gaelic reference is recorded on the form, or perhaps we just see part of it on Scotland’s People.

I think the newspaper article you have provided a link to is inaccurate. They possibly meant 1891. The 1881 census does not have a question about speaking gaelic on it. And I am pretty sure what you see on the SP version is all the information that was gathered about each household.
Elwyn

Offline Caltha

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Re: 1881 Census
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 02 March 21 11:11 GMT (UK) »
Thanks for all your feedback.  The National Records of Scotland confirm that the 1881 Census did indeed have a question on Gaelic speaking, but I guess you have all run into the same problem as me and cant find where the response is shown in the copies available from Scotlands People.

This is the NRS link:

https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/guides/census-records/1881-census

Online Elwyn Soutter

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Re: 1881 Census
« Reply #8 on: Tuesday 02 March 21 11:44 GMT (UK) »
I assume that the 1881 census is the last in which your ancestors were in Scotland, otherwise you could just look at the 1891. However if they lived in a rural community where many of the population were likely to stay put, you could look at the 1891 census for the same location and see what proportion spoke Gaelic. You could probably draw an inference from that.  (If they lived in a city where the population was likely to change a lot over 10 years that wouldn’t work).
Elwyn