What's in a census?

The clues that you pick up from census records can lead you into far greater depth. For example, you can find out what someone did for a living, which can lead you to a new line of investigation in employment records. It is certainly worth searching more widely that just your direct ancestors – were there any other branches of the family living nearby? What was the community in which they lived really like? Can you make any judgments about their social status from the size of the house and the occupations of their neighbours? Census returns open up a gateway to the past, and allow you to extend the scope of your research.