Author

Dawn MacQueen

Date

December 2011

Project Type

Coursework (Masters)

Subject

History

Datasets

Ordnance Survey maps - modern and historical

Related Subjects

Geography; social and political history; historical geography; research methods; regional/industrial history; 19th century lifestyles

Sources: Digimap

Dates/Editions: various

Scale: various

Publishing Institution

West Midlands History MA, Department of History, School of History and Cultures, College of Arts and Law, University of Birmingham

Summary

This project looked at the development of one street throughout the 19^th Century.

Aims & Objectives

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the census return as a tool for the study of any West Midlands district. The development of  a single district of Birmingham, being that of the Ladywood ward, is the general subject matter and  the developing suburban landscape known as Edward Street is the focus of attention over a period of some sixty years. This approach has the objective of illustrating the strengths and weaknesses of the census return also demonstrates ways in which any weaknesses in that particular tool might be overcome by a combined application with a wider set of sources.

Methodology

Analysis of the Enumeration Books for the Census returns from 1801 through to 1911 were collated for a single area, then focusing on a single street. The data was tabulated to inform about occupations, families, migration, and local culture. This required analysis of the geographical wards and districts as they changed over time. Maps were an essential tool to this end – the later ones giving a visual fix on buildings and dimensions.

Results/Outcome

The strengths and weaknesses of specific sources was identified and the advantages of combining data collected from a variety of sources was explored.

References & Acknowledgements

W. Dargue, A history of Birmingham Place Names from A to Y….. available online at http://billdargue.jimdo.com/placenames-gazetteer-a-to-y/places-l/ladywood-birmingham/

E. Higgs, Making Sense of the Census: The Manuscript Returns for England and Wales, 1801 – 1901; (HMSO 1989); p. 52.

E. Hopkins, ‘Working Class Housing in Birmingham during the Industrial Revolution’, International Review of Social History, 1984, Vol.31(1).

T.W. Hutton, King Edward’s School Birmingham 1551 – 1952, (Oxford 1952), p.4.

R. Lawton, The Census and Social Structure: An interpretative Guide to Nineteenth Century Censuses for England and Wales, (London, 1978).

S. Lumas, Making Use of the Census, Public Record Office (1992).

D. Rhind (ed.), A Census User’s Handbook, (Methuen, London, 1983).

White, Francis and Co.. General and Commercial Directory and Topography of the Borough of Birmingham, with Aston, Edgbaston, Handsworth, Smethwick, West Bromwich, Hill Top,.. England: S. Harrison &c, 1855. Available online at www.ancestry.co.uk, Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.

200 years of the census in Warwickshire at http://www.ons.gov.uk

General Register Office. (GRO) England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office.

National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1861-1941

Useful websites:

http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/

http://www.tokensociety.org.uk/articles/aof/index.shtml

http://billdargue.jimdo.com/placenames-gazetteer-a-to-y/places-l/ladywood-birmingham/

http://www.findmypast.co.uk

http://www.ancestry.co.uk

http://hunimex.co.uk (Pinkard’s Pink Pages)

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hughwallis/IGIBatchNumbers.htm