The census records gradually became more detailed with every decade that passed. Marital statuses were given from 1851, as well as the relationship between each person and the head of the household. Ages also became more accurate as well as information about where someone was born.

Increasingly intrusive enquiries were made, asking in 1851 and 1861 if people were ‘blind or deaf-and-dumb’ and from 1871 whether anyone was deemed to be a ‘lunatic, imbecile or idiot’, by Victorian standards. Additional questions were asked about employment status from 1891, defining whether a person was self-employed ‘on their own account’, an employer, or employed by someone else.

Address – Street and house name or number were included in the census records. Enumerators also tried to include Gypsies and the homeless so ‘address’ might be ‘Under canal bridge’ or ‘Tents on common’. From 1861 uninhabited houses were also recorded.

Name – Full names for all occupants were given (although usually just initials for middle names). In some institutions, especially prisons, just initials for both first and last names were given.

Relation to head of household – Wife, son, dau (daughter) are the most common family ones but you may find extended family there as well as servants and lodgers. Institutions would have inmates, pupils, patients, staff etc

Condition – This recorded an inhabitants’ marital status: M or Mar for married, W or Wid for widow/er and S or sometimes U for unmarried.

Age – Unlike previous census records, ages were recorded accurately (or as accurately as the inhabitant knew or cared to give). There were two columns, one to record the ages of male inhabitants and one for female.

Rank, profession or occupation – Wives are often left blank even though they may have worked. Administrators recognised that the work of women was not being recorded and added a box in 1901 ‘If working at home’ to try and encourage a better record of female employment. Children attending school were marked as ‘Scholar’. From 1891 further columns were added asking if someone was an employer, an employee or neither.

Where born – More complete details were now required, including town or village and county. Those born abroad, including Ireland, only had to provide the name of the country.

Disabilities – In 1851 and 1861 the census asked if you were ‘Blind or Deaf and Dumb’. From 1871 two more categories were introduced: ‘Imbecile or idiot’ (changed to ‘Feeble-minded’ in 1901) or ‘Lunatic’.

Education – From 1861 onwards, Scotland administered its own census and could add its own questions. In 1861 and 1871 Scotland asked how many children between 5 and 15 were being educated at school or at home.

Housing condition – The 1861 to 1901 censuses in Scotland asked how many rooms had one or more windows. This was a reaction to concern about housing conditions. In 1891 and 1901 English and Welsh households had to say how many rooms they inhabited if it was less than five to assess the issue of overcrowding.

Language spoken – In 1881 the Scottish census asked whether the inhabitants spoke Gaelic or G&E (this was left blank if they did not speak Gaelic).  In 1891 a similar question was added to the Welsh census asking inhabitants if they spoke Welsh. It was not until 1901 that Welsh language schedules were provided for Welsh speakers.