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The census in Ireland of 1813-15

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2016

P. Froggatt
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Extract

The first reliable statutory census of the population of Ireland was taken in 1821 and started the decennial series. An earlier census authorised by statute had been taken between 1813 and 1815. The results, however, were defective and neither printed nor presented to parliament. The causes or this failure air discussed below.

The first decennial census of Great Britain (taken in 1801) was a success, and a bill to take a single census of Ireland was introduced on 31 January 1806 ‘to assimilate the laws and regulations of Ireland to those of this country as far as it is just and expedient’. It was thrown out at the first readiilg. During the commons’ debate on the second census of Great Britain (taken in 1811), several members deprecated that Ireland had again been excluded and attributed this to ‘a species of timidity on the part of certain persons who were afraid even of letting themselves know the real amount of the inhabitants of the sister kingdom’. More probably, however, Ireland was omitted because of the formidable practical difficulties her inclusion would have presented. A second bill for a census of Ireland, which became law on 18 July 1812, made light of these difficulties or suggested how they might be overcome.

Type
Articles
Information
Irish Historical Studies , Volume 14 , Issue 55 , March 1965 , pp. 227 - 235
Copyright
Copyright © Irish Historical Studies Publications Ltd 1965

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References

1 Bill for taking an account of the population of Ireland, H.C. i8o6, (14), i. I.

2 Cobbett Parl. Deb., vi. 113.

3 Commons’ jn., lxi. 20, 49, 205, 208.

4 Cobbett Pari. Deb., xxi. 180-2.

5 Ibid., 399–401.

6 Bill for taking an account of the population of Ireland, and of the increase and diminution thereof, H.C. 1812, (43) (292), i. 273, 279.

7 52 Geo. III, c. 133.

8 Cobbett Pari Deb., xxi. 399–401.

9 Col. Wolfe (Naas) to under-secretary, 5 Apr. 1813 (P.R.O.I., Official Papers, second series, 1790-1831, MS 554/394/31).

10 Facts from : 52 Geo. Ill, c. 133; W.S. Mason, A statistical account, or parochial survey of Ireland, drawn up from the communications of the clergy, iii, p. xviii ff.

11 McDowell, R. B., The Irish administration, pp. 9–10.Google Scholar

12 Mason, W. S., A statistical account…, 1 (1814), ii (1816), iii (1819).Google Scholar

13 W. S. Mason, Survey, valuation, and census of the barony of Portnehinch compiled in the year 1819.

14 Mason to under-secretary, 23 May and 2 July 1814 (P.R.O.I. Official Papers, second series, 1790-1831, MS 556/413/17).

15 Cobbett Pari. Deb., xxvii. 430.

16 Mason, W. S., A statistical account …, 3, p. 24.Google Scholar

17 Carlow, Garrickfergus, Drogheda, Galway town, Kildare, Longford, Waterford city.

18 Cavan, Donegal, Kilkenny city, Limerick city, Wexford.

19 Facts compiled from : Mason, W. S., A statistical account…, 3 Google Scholar, table I; Abstract of the population of Ireland . . with a comparative view of the number of houses and inhabitants as taken in 1813, H.G. 1822, (36), xiv 737; Abstract of answers and returns, pursuant to act 55 Geo. 3, for taking an account of the population of Ireland in 1821, p. vii, H.G. 1824, (577). xxii. 421.

20 R. C. Simington, personal communication.

21 These are for the barony of Longford, county Galway, and record the data as scheduled; and for the parishes of Killkillvery and Killeany, county Galway, which record additional information for each town and village (P.R.O.I., MS 1A.45.182).

22 Mason to chief secretary, 22 Sept. 1814 (P.R.O.I. Official Papers, second series, 1790-1831, MS 556/413/24).

23 Report from the select committee appointed to examine the copies of the grand jury presentments of Ireland which were presented to the House upon the 5 April last, pp. 4, 7, 13, 17, 34, H.C. 1814-5, (283), vi. 1661 ff.

24 Memorials sent to the lord lieutenant respecting grand juries, p. 2, H.C. 1819, (186), xvi. 674.

25 Mason, W. S., A statistical account …, 3, p. 24.Google Scholar

26 Report from the select committee appointed to examine the copies of the grand jury presentments of Ireland, p. 3, H.C. 1814-5, (283), vi. 1663.

27 2 Hansard, vii. 852 ff.

28 Created pursuant to 54 Geo. Ill, c. 131. The first was appointed for Tipperary on 31 Jan. 1817 (Names and dates of appointment of stipendiary magistrates; salary} emoluments, ‘. .’ , H.C. 1831–2, (360), xxxiii. 561).

29 Created under 27 Geo. III, c. 40. Their duties were extended by 36 Geo. III, c. 25.

30 Parl. Debates (Ireland), vii. 431 ff., 438, 446.

31 Abstract of answers and returns, pursuant to act 55 Geo. 3, for taking an account of the population of Ireland in 1821, p. vii, H.G. 1824, (577), xxii. 421.

32 Bolton, R., A justice of the peace for Ireland (Dublin, 1750), p. 121 Google Scholar; Anon, ., The office and duty of high and petty constables … in Ireland, collected from the books of common law, and the acts of parliament at force in this kingdom, (Dublin, 1720), p. 168.Google Scholar

33 7 Geo. II, c. 12.

34 23 Geo. II, c. 14.

35 10 Geo. I, c. 3, iv.

36 19 Geo. II, c. 6.

37 10 Geo. I, c. 3, s. v.

38 13 and 14 Geo. III, c. 32, s. xxiv.

39 27 Geo. III, c. 40.

40 At not more than £50 p.a.; sub-constables were paid £20 to £24 p.a. (Ibid., s. ix and xi).

41 Dublin metropolitan area, by 26 Geo, III, c. 24, was to be divided into four ‘divisions’ to each a high constable and ten petty constables were to be appointed by the commissioners of police.

42 32 Geo. III, c. 16.

43 The exceptions were : Armagh, Carlow, Donegal, Down, Fermanagh, Kildare, Kings, Mayo, Monaghan, Sligo, Tyrone, Wexford, Wicklow.

44 36 Geo. III, c. 25.

45 44 Geo. III, c. 90; 52 Geo. III, c. 91; 54 Geo. III, c. 33.

46 A bill to end this unpopular crown intervention was unsuccessful. (Bill for better regulating the office of constable in Ireland, H.G. 1809, (44)(59), i. 61.71.)

47 48 Geo. III, c. 140.

48 32 Geo. III, c. 16, s. viii.

49 2 Hansard, vii. 866.

50 Wilde, W. R., Irish popular superstitions, p. 83.Google Scholar

51 2 Hansard, vii. 856.

52 Wilde, W. R., Irish popular superstitions, p. 83.Google Scholar

53 Parl. Debates (Ireland), vii. 476.

54 32 Geo. III, c. 16, s. 3.

55 W. R. Wilde, op. cit., p. 83.

56 Curtis, R., The history of the Royal Irish Constabulary, p. 3.Google Scholar

57 The high constable of the barony of Boylagh, county Donegal, received £42 16s. for 1822. Most, however, were paid more (Grand juries : an account of all sums of money levied in the several counties of Ireland during the two years last past…, pp. 9-10, H.C. 1824, (287), xxii. 369–70).

58 Report from the select committee . on the grand jury presentments of Ireland, p. 11, H.C. 1814–5, (283), vi. 1671.

59 Abstract of answers and returns, pursuant to act 55 Geo. 3, for taking an account of the population of Ireland in 1821, p. viii, H.C. 1824, (577), xxii. 422.

60 Mason, W. S., A statistical account …, 3, p. 24 Google Scholar

61 The grand juries sometimes withheld the constables“ fees until the returns were approved. See — clerk of peace, county Sligo, to chief secretary, August 1813 (P.R.O.I., Official Papers, second series, 1790–1831, MS 554/394/38).

62 Mason, W. S., A statistical account . ., 3, p. 24 Google Scholar

63 J.K.L., Letters on the state of Ireland, addressed by J.K.L. to a friend in England, p. 96.

64 Townsend, H., Statistical survey of the county of Cork with observations on the means of improvement, p. 227.Google Scholar

65 Hansard Pari. Hist., xiv. 1317 ff.

66 II Samuel, xxiv

67 Abstract of answers and returns, . . of the population of Ireland in 1821, p. xii, H.G. 1824, (577)5 426.

68 Mason, W. S., A statistical account. . , 3, p. 24.Google Scholar

69 ’Report to the council of the statistical society of London, from the committee appointed to consider the best mode of taking the census of the United Kingdom in 1841’ in R. Stat. Soc. Jn., iii. 72-102 (1840).

70 Abstract of answers and returns *#x2026; of the population of Ireland in 1821, p. xi, H.G. 1824, (577)5 xxii. 425

71 Abstract of the population of Ireland … as taken in 1813, p. 2, H.G. 1822, (36), xiv. 738.

72 For a description of the unique aspects of these censuses, see my forthcoming article ‘The demographic work of Sir William Wilde’ in Ir. Jn. Med. Sc.