Census reveals the gossip columnist from 1861

In vividly describing his neighbours as "bastards", "prostitutes" and "syphilitic paupers" in the census, Isaac Norris Hunt could almost be depicted as the 1861 version of a gossip columnist.

A data collector for Stow-on-the-World in the 1861 national census, Mr Hunt took a rather overzealous approach into his task of collating information on his fellow Cheltenham residents.

Along with the vigorous observations of I.N. Hunt, The National Archives has unveiled the complete name, birthplace and occupation of residents across all 52 counties of England and Wales in 1861. You can trace the lives of ancestors through the five consecutive censuses.

A railway manager by profession, Mr Hunt took the opportunity to add some highly personal remarks when entering the occupation of his neighbours:

Unsurprisingly, Isaac Hunt does not appear to have undertaken the role of enumerator in any of the later censuses, which are now held at The National Archives.

The 19th century online censuses - delivered by Ancestry.co.uk in partnership with The National Archives - allows the life of a single ordinary person to be traced over four decades (1861-1891).

Thomas Hawkes provides an example of an individual´s progression from apprentice to master of his trade. Four successive census returns tell the story of his success.

Thomas Hawkes

Thomas was born in Paddington, London in 1841. In 1861, Thomas was living with his aunt and uncle and working as a ´Grocer´s Assistant´ but, by the 1871 census, he was married and a ´Grocer & Draper´ in Rayne with his own apprentice and a general servant living in. By the time of the 1881 census, he had progressed further still: his occupation was given as ´Grocer and Draper (Master) employing 3 men - Postmaster´ and he was also employing a governess as well as a general domestic servant. The 1891 census shows Thomas as a widower, with a housekeeper, a grocer´s assistant and a general servant. His second son, William Edgar Hawkes, was eventually to take over the business from him.

A few famous names from the 1861 census:

Queen Victoria

At the time of the 1861 census, Queen Victoria was living at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight with Prince Albert and seven of their children, including the 19 year-old future King Edward VII. This entry is of particular interest as it is a rare instance of a husband (in this case, Albert) being listed in the ´Relation to Head´ column. Victoria is listed as the head of the household.

Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson)

Lewis Carroll, the children´s author, mathematician and clergyman, was somewhat handicapped in his clerical career by a fairly severe stammer. The character of the Dodo in "Alice´s Adventures In Wonderland" is thought to have been based on the author and is a parody of his attempts to say his own name; "Do-Do-Dodgson". He was so concerned about the stammer that he made a number of visits to a variety of speech therapists, most notably a Dr James Hunt. The 1861 census finds Dodgson staying with Dr Hunt at Ore House near Hastings. Dr Hunt is described as a Psellismolligist - a psellism is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as "any defect of enunciation, as stammering, lisping, etc., due either to nervous affection or to malformation of the vocal organs."

Thomas Hardy

In 1861, Thomas Hardy was living in his native Stinsford in Dorset with his parents (Thomas and Jemima). Thomas junior´s occupation was given as ´Architect´s Clerk´ and Hardy used his experiences in this area to good effect, most notably in Jude the Obscure where the main character followed the same profession.

Josh Hanna of Ancestry.co.uk said:

"Interest in family history is rapidly growing and Ancestry.co.uk offers the most comprehensive census records available online. Census records are the most popular way to search for your relatives because they contain so much information that really brings your ancestors and their everyday lives to life. We have created an online community that allows people not only to search original official records quickly from the convenience of their own home but also to exchange information with fellow users."

James Strachan of The National Archives said:

"The launch of the 1861 census completes a chain of historical data from five consecutive decades, providing a valuable and accessible online starting point for delving into your family history."