Victorian Politics and History/census 1861 - UK Population Tables

Another of those formidable masses of figures, in which the whole life of the nation is, as far as such a feat can be accomplished, analysed and tabulated, has been published by order of the House of Commons. It sets forth in columns upon columns – which have, at first sight, a forbiddingly dry appearance – the most interesting history that could be written; for it records nothing less than the civil condition, the occupation, the birthplaces, and the present ages of all the people in England and Wales. There is scarcely a man before whose eyes this weighty and voluminous fund of information may come who is not himself an atom in the vast aggregate; and there is certainly not one who, if he rendered a faithful account of himself and his household in the last census, may not claim to have assisted in the formation of the great book of reference just added to the library of national statistics. Merged in the vast totality, he is a drop in the tide of population which continues steadily to rise in all parts of these realms.

The official return now before us states, as we have said, all essential particulars in the civil condition of the people, including their ages and occupations; and it also sets forth the ages and occupations of the blind, of the deaf and dumb, and of the inmates of certain public institutions. The total number of males, according to the census of 1861, was 9.776.259, and females 10,289,965. In England the two sexes are stated as 18,954,444; while in Wales they are set down at 1,111,780. In England there were 50 males and 127 females of 100 years and upwards, and in Wales 5 males and 19 females of the like advanced age. Ladies enjoy the greatest longevity in Lancashire, where there are 18 of the sex over a hundred years old, and 6 men of the same mature age. In Cheshire there are 4 ladies who may congratulate themselves upon being centenarians, in Devon 5. Durham 6, Kent, 5, Middlesex 16, Norfolk 10, Somerset 5, Southampton 6, and the West Riding 5. In Gloucestershire there are 5 males 100 years old, which is the greatest number of one county. – In England and the Principality there were unmarried 5,987,861 males, and 6,044,296 females. There were of married persons, 3,428,443 husbands, and 3,488,952 wives*; and there were of widowed persons, 359,955 widowers, and 756,717 widows. It is rather surprising to find that some hundreds of young people had taken upon themselves the responsibilities of matrimony before they were 15 years of age, and also that a considerable number under that age were placed in the mournful category of widows and widowers. With regard to the occupations of the people, several new trades and branches of manufacture are stated, which show the progress being made as compared with other returns of comparatively recent period. This is particularly noticeable in the increase number of agricultural implement and machine makers, and agricultural professors and chemists. The profession of executioner is of a very select character, as there is only one entry. Only one gentleman has dared to rank himself with the great Samuel Johnson by giving his occupation as that of a lexicographer. There are Scripture-readers, missionaries, and itinerant preachers, 2034. The development of the telegraph service is proved by the fact that, at the time the census was taken, there were 2399 male and 213 female operatives. There were no less than 1165 persons who were in such desperate straits that they had to acknowledge themselves as “vagrants and beggars.” 111,000 are set down as having neither occupation nor “condition,” a description which makes it somewhat difficult to understand how they managed to exist as all. The following are the number and occupations of foreigners residents in England and Wales. Total foreigners, 73,434; males, 50,844; females, 22590. In England and Wales there are 19,352 persons afflicted with blindness, and 12,236 deaf and dumb. In London there were, officers of national Government, 16,700; officers of local Government, 8,778; officers of East India and Colonial Government, 435; army, 15,812; navy, 5,214; clergymen, ministers, and church officers, 4,877; lawyers, law court officers, and law stationers, 12,974; physicians, surgeons, and druggists, 8,766; authors and literary persons, 1,581; artists, 6.053; musicians, teachers of music, 5,367; actors, actresses, 1,510; teachers, 18,188; scientific persons, 1,583. – Daily Telegraph.

* So says our contemporary, but if the figures are correct, it is obvious that there are upwards of 20,000 polygamists somewhere.

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