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The Ham History Project: Censuses
Censuses were our first port of call as a resource for research.

 
Part of the first page of the 1841 census for Ham with its transcript below.

DOWNLOADS


1841 census & transcript
1851 census & transcript
1861 census & transcript
1871 census & transcript
1881 census & transcript
1891 census & transcript
1901 census & transcript
1911 census transcript


Please Note: actual census documents are large downloads. Please be patient.
 
 

Year    Ham    Wiltshire


1801    188      185,107
1811    195      193,828
1821    171      222,157
1831    205      240,156
1841    215      258,733
1851    243      254,221
1861    249      249,311
1871    255      257,177
1881    199      258,965
1891    241      264,997
1901    217      271,394
1911    192      286,822
1921    160      292,208
1931    179      303,373
1951    175      386,692
1961    170      422,950
1971    149      486,747
1981    161      518,545
1991    175      564,471
2001    152      613,024
2011

© Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office

Checking out family names in the census records reveals all sorts of information about  ancestors but it also uncovers lots of valuable social history as to what life was like in past times in a small Wiltshire village.


1841 CENSUS
For Ham it shows that the huge majority were all labourers working on Ham’s historic three farms: Dove’s Farm, East Court Farm and Manor Farm which embraced a copyhold farm, and then the emerging Ham Spray Estate.


In the second half of the 19th century Henry Deacon Woodman became the major landowner, welding the majority of these farms together.

 

1841 CENSUS NOTES

1. In this first proper census of 1841, adult ages were rounded up or down to the nearest 5 years. It is extraordinary today to think that children 5+ were deemed workers.

2. No addresses given except for 2 on page 8, the rest just marked ‘Village’.


3. Total population was 215:
108 males & 107 females.
48 households. 127 adults &
88 children under 16.


4. Summary of occupations:
Agricultural Labourer.
Labourer. Carpenter. Farmer. Balemaker. Blacksmith.
Publican. Tailor. Shoemaker.
Yeoman. Clergyman.
Female servant. Male servant.