Where were you in 1841?

Many newspapers echo the good news that it is that the returns for the 1841 census in the UK can at last be found online.

The Independent explains very clearly what the merit of these records is:

There had been censuses of the nation before, but they had been little more than head counts. But on 6 June 1841, every individual in the country was recorded in whatever place he or she happened to be. Not just that, but their age, occupation and birthplace were entered into the great pencilled account. It was a gesture of enormous confidence and systematic method, a gesture which spoke volumes about the time in which it was made.

While The Guardian provides us with Charlotte's whereabouts:

Up in Yorkshire in the parish of Guiseley, 20-year-old Charlotte Brontë was living in Upper Road as a governess.

We know we must have the 1841 returns for Haworth Parsonage around here somewhere but so far we have only managed to find those from 1851. We'll keep on looking for them, if anyone's interested :) These censuses are quite simple things, but very comforting somehow.

Oh, and by the way, you can find the 1841 census here. If you pay, that is.

Categories: In_the_News, Brontëana