The Statement of Progress in The Population Inquiry for 1831

The British census originated in the late 18th century with the Population Act of 1800, which authorized the first official count in 1801 amid concerns about national resources during the Napoleonic Wars. Conducted every ten years thereafter, the censuses of 1801–1831 primarily gathered aggregate data for military, administrative, and economic purposes. This report outlines a portion of the findings for the 1831 Census. The contents provide a wealth of information on the census process, legislative history, and question details. Interesting features include a summary of trades for 20-year-old males in York (9 gunmakers, 190 carpenters, 56 fancy bakers, 1 organ builder, etc.), extensive population statistics and tables of mortality, and two maps – the County of Essex and the Metropolis of London. The latter uses hand color to highlight the city limits of London, Westminster, and Southwark, as well as those areas subject to Bills of Mortality. The slim and battered volume was printed in 1831 in London, near Lincoln’s-Inn Fields, by James & Luke G. Hansard & Sons