Discovering Family History through the census

 With 2021, drawing to its close, what notable anniversaries have been ‘celebrated’ this year? The 300th anniversary of the first British Prime Minister, Robert Walpole in 1721, the Royal Albert Hall celebrated its 150th anniversary, the centenary of the establishing of the Royal British Legion and the 1921 census undertaken on 19th June 1921.

The National Archives, in Kew in association with FindMyPast will release on the 6th January 2022, the 1921 census. The census will be only available on FindMyPast.

So, why wasn’t this census released earlier, as was the 1911? The answer to this question was the Census Act, of 1920. The Act was passed for the statutory authority for the undertaking of a census, which gave power to the government, to ask permission from the monarch to make an Order in the Council directing that a census would be taken on a particular day. Part of the Act stipulated that it prohibited the discourse of the census before the centenary of the census was carried out.

The 1921 census asked the same questions as were on the 1911 census; however, additional information was required. These additional questions were 1. Employment details – House-holders’ place of employment; the industry they worked in; the materials they worked with and their employer’s name. 2. If aged 15 of over, marital status and for the first time if they were divorced. 3. If aged under 15, whether both parents were alive or if either or both had died. 4. Detailed questions of education.

The 1921 census was originally meant to be carried out during April of that year, but it was postponed for two months to 19th June, due to the industrial unrest, on 15th April.

Another thing of interest is house numbers. When did they start? The earliest numbering of buildings dates back to 1512, on the Pont Notre-Dame, in Paris. It would be nearly 200 years later in 1708, that the first British road Prescot Street, Goodman’s Field’s, London was numbered. By the end of the century, the numbering of houses was being established.

A fanlight above the front door, was introduced during the 1720s. These provided natural light in an otherwise dark hall way and provided the perfect place for the house number.

I expect many of you will have seen the BBC programme A House Through Time presented by David Olusoga. Following along a similar line, I’ve been looking at the residents of one particular house in Sketty.

Bay editor Lesley has kindly allowed me to delve into the records of 1 Cae Banc from the censuses of 1841 to 1911 to see who was living there. When the 1921 census is released we will see who was residing at the house working up to the present day. Even though there were censuses prior to 1841, they were primarily a simple headcount, without any personal details.

1 Cae Banc, at the time of the 1841 census comprised of 4 rooms, 13’x8’, the cottage didn’t have a kitchen or a bathroom. The 1841 census proved to be a slight problem when trying to establish who was resident of the house. However, the year before in 1840, Margaret Stephens was born.

    Margaret was the daughter of William and Ann Stephens. William’s occupation was labourer, Ann didn’t work. Margaret was the last but one of 6 children.

Margaret Stephens/Davies will be the main name that we follow in the following censuses.

The 1861 census was undertaken during April, and we assume that John Davies and his wife Margaret Davies nee Stephens were living at Cae Banc. They were married earlier in the year. John hailed from Llannon, Carmarthen-shire and his occupation is that of a coal miner.

Where would the nearest coal mine be located near Sketty? At the time of the 1861 census, this would be the Rhyd-y-defaid, Killay. The mine was opened during 1840 on land leased by the Duke of Beaufort. The mine worked until 1883, and later during the 1860s, the Clyne Wood Colliery was opened, this mine was also on land owned by the duke. After the First World War, it was renamed Ynys Slant, finally closing during 1924.

A decade later, on the 1871 census (see top pic), the couple had two children, Mary, 7 and David, aged 1. John is a collier.

There is an 1878 Ordnance Survey map for Sketty (left), where Cae Banc is featured. It is interesting to note that no street names have been used, only the names of notable buildings. The map also shows where the nearest well was located, in the grounds of the churchyard!

By the time of the 1881 census, Cae Banc has had a name change to Steven’s Row which clearly didn’t last long. The family now included 6 children, Mary, 17; David, 11; Elizabeth, 8; William, 7; Anna, 4 and George, 3.  8 people in a two-bedroom house! There was no let up by the 1891 census, where Margaret is now a widow. Margaret is now employed as a green-grocer, living with her is her married daughter, Mary Griffiths and her 3 children, Ruth, 5; David C, 9 and Ethel, 4.  Also present are 4 of Margaret’s children, Elizabeth, 18; William, 16; Emma, 15 (we can only assume that this is a mistake as ten years previously she was known as Anna) and George, 13.*

By the time of the 1911 census, Margaret is aged 70, and is employed as a gardener, she is living with another widow, Jane Richards, 58 and a lodger William Richards, 18 who is employed as a baker. The census has been filled out by the enumerator, David R. Thomas. We will never know the reason for Margaret not filling it in. Of the 10 children that Margaret had, 5 had died by the time of this census.

This chapter of Cae Banc ends, but is this the end of Margaret, we’ll just have to wait and see when the 1921 census is published.

After the publication of the 1921 census we will have to wait until 2051 for the next one as the 1931 was destroyed in a fire in 1942 and there was no census taken in 1941.

*Since before the beginning of lockdown, our daughter and grandson have been living with us in the cottage. Never again will I complain about the lack of space. Margaret must have been a very patient woman to live cheek by jowl with not only her own four teenagers but her three grandchildren too – and all this with only two bedrooms and no bathroom. Where she put the 18-year old baker lodger is a mystery.

Copyright - Bay Magazine, Winter 2021