1841 Ireland Census – 6 June 1841

The 1841 Ireland census marked ‘a new era in Irish Statistics’ with major reforms that lasted, with few amendments, until the partition of Ireland. As with all pre-partition Ireland censuses, it shared its census day with the rest of the UK but was quite independent in other respects. It was governed by its own Census Act and had its own set of administrators who, using their independence, asked more searching questions than their counterparts in Great Britain.

The 1841 Census is particularly poignant as this was the last census taken before the Great Famine (1845 – 1851).

Administration

Responsibility for the census was handed to a small group of Census Commissioners who reported to the Lord Lieutenant. Enumerators (census takers recruited mainly form the constabulary) were allocated an ‘enumeration district’, which was based on one or more ‘townland’ (a term denoting the smallest possible division of land). Ordnance Survey maps were used for the first time to map out the districts.

The census administrators genuinely seemed interested in the ‘condition of the people’. For this reason, where Ireland records have survived, they provide us with a better understanding of how our Irish ancestors lived.

Householder’s Form A

Central to the new system was the ‘Family Form A’. This was distributed by the enumerator shortly before census day, and collected shortly after census day. In line with the rest of the UK, it was now the householder’s responsibility to complete this form on the night of the census (previously, the householder simply provided verbal information to the enumerator). The fine for non-compliance (either by giving false answers or refusing to answer) resulted in a stiff penalty of £10 (worth around £1,000 in 2022).

Form A comprised three tables into which the householder was asked to enter the personal details of three sets of people:

• 1st table: family members, servants, visitors etc. who stayed overnight on census night.
• 2nd table: persons belonging to the householder’s family but absent on census night. Absent family members living in Ireland would also be generally enumerated in the house where they were staying on census night.
• 3rd table: persons who had died since the last census (including what they had died of). This table was included because there was no general registry of deaths in Ireland.

In contrast, the 1841 census of Great Britain asked simply for the personal details of anyone who stayed overnight. There were good reasons behind the addition of the second and third tables. In Ireland during the Summer, many people left home temporarily in search of agricultural work. Also, there was (at that time) no general Registry of Deaths in Ireland.

The Ireland census also asked more questions than the census of Great Britain; the relationship, marital status, and education questions were all unique to the census of Ireland.

The enumerator entered the householder’s address: county, barony, parish, townland/town/village (the street/road or house name/number was not required) and cross referenced it with Form B – see below.

Unlike the rest of the UK, these family forms were retained and this means that, where 1841 census fragments have survived, the census records show the householder’s own handwriting. In the rest of the UK, it was not until the 1911 census of England and Wales, and the 1921 census of Scotland, that a similar system was a adopted.

House and Building Return Form B – buildings survey

Form B was another innovation unique to Ireland. This was a house survey completed by each enumerator whilst distributing Form A. This form is extremely valuable to family historians because each householder is easily identified so we can learn about the household’s living conditions.

Census substitutes

The 1841 Ireland census records were not fire damaged until 1922, whilst births were not registered in Ireland until 1864. As a result, when the old age pension was introduced in 1909, with a qualifying age of 70 years, both the 1841 and 1851 Ireland census records were used as proof of age. Data from the censuses were used in census search forms; sometimes, actual copies of the original census records were included in the process. These ‘census substitutes’ can be viewed online at Findmypast.co.uk.

Population – 8,196,597

This figure appears to be a modest increase since the population figure recorded in the 1831 Ireland census of 7,767,401. However, the 1831 Ireland population figure is generally considered to be an over estimate – see our 1831 Ireland census page for more information.