London Census Facts

Sports and Pastimes | London Fashion

The Abbey from Whitehall

London was the growing capital of an expanding empire. The largest and richest city in existence. Each year the city grew by the population of a small town.

It had the finest architecture and the river made London a centre of international trade.

The population had seen massive growth and the streets thronged with wealth and squalor side by side.

With no adequate sanitation many streets ran with the waste from houses and businesses. The Thames could not cope with the sewage from the millions of londoners and the tides simply pushed the waste upstream forming a massive cess pool.

In the summer of 1858 the houses of parliament had to close because the smell had become overpowering.

There were 13,000 street traders in London, many of which were children. The police estimated 20,000 children were being trained as pick-pockets and criminals.

This was the London that Dickens detested and helped slowly change through his novels ‘Oliver Twist’, ‘Pickwick Papers’ and ‘Bleak House’.

In 1861 London saw a revolution in sanitation brought about by a major sewer project. This meant that the sewage finally ran below the streets and under the Thames embankment. The project completed in 1866.

“By seeing London,

I have seen as much of life as the world can shew.”

Samuel Johnson

London 1861 Census —
Top Ten Occupations

London 1861 Census —
Famous People

London Fashion

What might your ancestors have been wearing at the time of the 1841 and 1881 censuses? Have a look at the lastest fashions.

Sports & Pastimes

How might your ancestors have spent their leisure time? Have a look at their sports and pastimes.

What information is included in the London census?

Note that some information for some entries may be listed as ‘unknown’.

* Only tells you if the person was born in the same census county (usually has a y/yes or n/no).