The first official national census of the population was taken in 1801, but the returns of most use to the family historian are those from 1841 onwards. Records are closed to access for 100 years, so the census returns presently available for public scrutiny cover the years 1841-1901.
The details from the census schedules for each household were entered into transcript books by locally appointed enumerators. The census information that we see derives from these enumerators' transcript books, not the original schedules, which were later destroyed.
The 1841 census recorded the names, occupations and ages of each person in a household and whether or not they were born in the county where the census was taken. Ages above 15 years were rounded down to the nearest five e.g. 25-29 years would be recorded as 25. Family relationships and marital status were not shown. From 1851 on, the relationship of each person to the head of the household was recorded, allowing researchers to distinguish between family members and servants, lodgers or visitors. Marital status was included and, most importantly, birthplace. Age at last birthday was included, but can still be unreliable.
Computerised surname indexes exist for the 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901 census returns, and online access to these is available here on ScotlandsPeople. Many family history societies are actively involved in producing surname indexes for their own areas. See www.safhs.org.uk for information on local family history societies.
It is worth bearing certain things in mind. Firstly, the census recorded individuals in the place where they were on census night. You will therefore not necessarily find an individual at the address that you might expect. The person you are looking for may be missing from home because they were working elsewhere, staying with relatives, in an institution, hospital, prison, at sea, etc. and either recorded there or not at all. Secondly, the census records households, not families. A household might include servants or lodgers as well as family members. If your ancestor was in service (or, say, an apprentice 'living-in'), you will find them in the census entry for their employer's household. Thirdly, accuracy is at the mercy of the informant, the enumerator and the indexer. Misinformation, misspelling and transcription errors are common.
Sources
General Register Office for Scotland
, HM New Register House, Edinburgh
- holds the census returns for the whole of Scotland 1841-1901. Computerised surname indexes and digital images of the 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901 returns for all Scotland are currently available. See GROS for more information. On-line access to all of the census indexes and images of the census returns and additional transcripts of the 1881 census, is available here on the ScotlandsPeople website.
Local Registrars
- may have access to Scotland-wide indexes and images to 1881, 1891 and 1901 census.
LDS Family History Centres
- copies of census for whole of Scotland on microfilm, CD-Rom of 1881 census national index.
Local libraries
- usually have microfilm copies of 1841-1901 censuses and the 1881 name index on microfiche for their own areas.
Family History Societies
- may have microfilm copies 1841-1901 for their own area and CD-Rom of the 1881 national index, and be working on surname indexes for the earlier census returns for their area.
For more information on searching census records, see Record Types & Examples.