Return to Home  |   County Info  |   View all parishes  |   Site Map

Wigtownshire Census Records

The recording of Census information began in 1801 in the UK, though until 1841 returns did not list names and other data pertinent to the genealogist. Census records from 1841 to 1901 can be found at the General Register Office in Edinburgh and microfilmed copies for 1841 to 1901 can be viewed through LDS Family History Centers worldwide. The GRO office also has a computerized index available for public use for the 1881 and 1891 returns, while, for a fee, the indexes and images for the 1891-1901 can be accessed online through Scotland's People. However a more universally accessible transcription and record has been much desired, and through the work of FreeCen volunteers an extensively checked online data base is now increasingly available. For further information on FreeCen, click here, or see more detail at the end of this section.

Please remember that census records are subject to a 100 year closure. The 1901 census is the latest currently to be released for viewing.

More in depth information about UK census can be also found at British-genealogy.

Census dates in Scotland

The Early Censuses

As noted, the 1831 and earlier censuses have no family information useful for genealogical purposes, being essentially population counts only. Those with a particular interest in the data collected can find a digitized copy of the 1831 UK census, with further information, at Univ. of Staffordshire.

1841 Census

An accurate transcription of Wigtownshire's 1841 census is online at FreeCen. Before this became available the D&G FHS undertook an extensive project to transcribe the 1841 census, and published a surname index for each parish. As the FreeCen and DGFHS transcriptions are organized differently, not supplanting each other, we encourage the use of both. For a very modest fee, booklets can be purchased online through the D&G FHS site. We are deeply indebted to all the volunteers who have made the 1841 census thus available. Doing it once was great, but doing it again was beyond expectation!

Alternatively, you can view the microfilms of the original census records. They were filmed by the LDS under an arrangement with the GRO, Scotland. They can be ordered at your nearest FHC. Some Genealogical Societies hold some or all of these films. The index booklets mentioned above have been compiled from the information on these films.

Given that most of the information is more easily found from the index booklets, the two main reasons for looking at the films are:

• Mistakes are sometimes made in abstraction of information into an index.
• The film shows complete households, so you can see any residents with other surnames.

There is less information in the 1841 census versus the 1851 census:

• Relationship to the head of household is not included, but a single slash / follows the last member of the family of the head of household, while a double slash // follows the entry for the last member of a household.
• Unlike later censuses, the parish of birth is not included. The question "Where born" required a yes or no response to whether the respondent was born within the county of Wigtownshire. A person born in Ireland was given an 'I', in England an 'E' and in a foreign country an "F".
• Ages, for those over the age of 15, were rounded downwards. Example: 28 to 25. However, no rule is complete without exception. Some enumerators did provide correct ages, while some rounded down and some seemed to have just guessed!

Bruce McDowall and Mary Richardson

• Name of place
• Name and surname
• Age (see notes above)
• Profession, occupation
• Where born (see notes above)

Sample of the 1841 Census:

1851 Census

A checked and accurate transcription of the 1851 Wigtownshire Census is available online at FreeCen. Another transcription is located on the Dumfries and Galloway local government's library system web site, covering Dumfries and for the two Galloway counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbright. As with the 1841 described above, these transcriptions are often complementary and we encourage the use of both. To access the D&G work, click on (or enter): http://www.dgcommunity.net/historicalindexes/census.aspx

But please do remember that these are transcriptions, and therefore, despite best efforts of the volunteers who worked on them, they are liable to introduced errors. The information should therefore always be backed up by reference to original data, using for example the LDS film of the original census.

This 1851 census has also been indexed by John Roy, by Heads of Households, and we are very happy that we are able to include his invaluable key on these pages. In a rather compact manner, it offers both an index and an overview for those who need a more rapid feel for the location of entire groups of families by surname, for instance. Also, if you intend to use the D&G census you may find it useful to refer to John Roy's index to obtain the page number, as the noted URL reference doesn't give that information..

Census references are by parish number / enumeration district number / page number, for example the first entry of the first district on the Leswalt film will be 891/1/1. The exception to this was in 1851 where the page numbers were abandoned and replaced by 'entry numbers'. Therefore, the first entry in Leswalt will have the same number as other years but the second entry, which will normally be on the same page, will read 891/1/2.

The on-line 1851 census developed by the Friends of the Dumfries Archives does not use parish numbers in the search fields, but the parish may be selected from a drop-down list if you wish to narrow the search down to an individual parish. Once you find a likely candidate for the family you are searching for you can start a new search by selecting a new parish name and entering the reference number in district / household number format. That will bring up all of that entry only.

Ian A. McClumpha
IMCHAD ANCESTRY

Information on the 1851

• Name of street, place or road
• First name
• Surname
• Relationship to head of household
• Marital Status
• Age
• Gender
• Occupation
• Place of Birth
• If disabled, nature of disability

1861 and 1871 Censuses

• First name
• Surname
• Relationship to head of household
• Age
• Gender
• Occupation
• Marital Status
• Place of Birth
• If disabled, nature of disability
• Number of rooms with 1 or more windows

1881 Census

The UK 1881 census is available in CD-ROM format through the LDS, and may be purchased online for a modest fee, or viewed at no cost at your local LDS Family History Center. But please do remember that these are transcriptions, and therefore, despite best efforts are liable to introduced errors. The information should therefore always be backed up by reference to original data, by viewing the filmed record.

The WigPages offers lookups for 1881 CDs, found in "Other Records".

• First name
• Surname
• Relationship to head of household
• Age
• Gender
• Occupation
• Marital Status
• Place of Birth
• If disabled, nature of disability
• Number of rooms with 1 or more windows

1881 strays

Sam Heron has extracted over 3,400 names of those people connected to Wigtownshire, but recorded in another county in the 1881 UK census. To view his index, [click here].

1891

• First name
• Surname
• Relationship to head of household
• Age
• Gender
• Occupation
• Marital Status
• Place of Birth
• If disabled, nature of disability
• Number of rooms with 1 or more windows
• whether Gaelic or Gaelic and English speaker

1901

Urquhart Census (Portpatrick)

The Rev. Andrew Urquart of the Free Church of Scotland conducted his own census of Portpatrick in 1832 - 1834, 1844, 1846, and 1852. The information is very basic and varies from year to year. They were transcribed and published in a book, a copy of which is in the reference section of the Ewart library in Dumfries. To see an index of those surnames mentioned in the Urquhart census, please [click here].

Typical Census Abbreviations

The FreeCen Project's Census Records

Scotland's census records from 1841 to 1901 can be found at the General Register Office in Edinburgh and microfilmed copies for 1841 to 1901 can be viewed through LDS Family History Centers worldwide. However a more universally accessible transcription and record has been much desired, and through the work of FreeCen volunteers an extensively checked online data base is now increasingly available.

What is the Free Census Project and what are its goals?

The Scotland Free Census project is part of the larger UK Free Census project, which aims to provide a "free-to-view" online searchable database of the 19th century UK census returns, and began in 1999 with the England/Wales 1891 census returns. The goal of the Scottish project is to transcribe, check, validate, and upload to an online database all 19th-century census returns for Scotland. [The FreeCen project is associated with FreeUKGen and its other member projects - FreeBMD and FreeREG.]

What is the status of the Scotland Free Census Project?

For Wigtownshire, the 1841 and 1851 censuses have been completed and checked and accurate transcriptions are available online at FreeCen. Work is continuing on 1861 and 1871. Further status information by parish may be accessed here.

Have you extra time on your hands?

Read about the Free Census Project for Wigtownshire, and discover how you can be part of the transcription team, for Wigtownshire or for another county of interest: FreeCen Project

For additional information    UK Free Census project,    http://freecen.rootsweb.com/ .