1861 Census of Newcastle upon Tyne Pages inserted between folios RG9/3824 66 and 67

Transcribed by Christine Wilshaw

In sending in my return as one of the enumerators in Newcastle on Tyne for the census of 1861 I beg to append the following remarks.

I was one of the enumerators for the census of 1851 in the Borough of Tynemouth and there as here in my district with a few exceptions was poor and very populous and experience allows me to say that a marked improvement has taken place both as regards education and intelligence and on my calling with Schedules every facility afforded me in getting the names of the different tenants, some of whom were from home on my first calling. A good deal of time was occupied in answering questions and giving instructions as to the filling up of schedules. During the whole of my time in delivering the schedules, I have not met with a single refusal to questions put as to parties abroad or absent or any other matter on subjects. I met with great civility.

I wish I could say so much for the sanitary condition of this district the presenting causes are many. The property is old and badly constructed, ill ventilated and miserably lighted and with the exception of Collingwood, St Nicholas's square and the Head of the Side, there is not more than 6 streets with water closets and devoid of [duct-holes] or cess pools. Many of the houses having three and four landings with two, three and sometimes four families on each landing and the accumulations arising from want of the above named must remain in the rooms for 24 hours. A cart calls at the end of the street for its removal parties who may hear the bells ring (9/10 ? for about 12 or 15 minutes) Those who neglect or may not hear the bell are compelled to keep slop pails for another 24 hours on the premises or in the absence of the police get rid of it as best they can. I may here observe that on Sunday evenings no cart calls many families who are away from home the whole week return on Saturday night and remain over Sunday consequently a double accumulation must remain 48 hours and in summertime at times the stench is intolerable. I'm not wrong in saying that the rents paid for these miserable holes from enquiries on the spot amount to from 20 to 30 percent on this outlay of capital and in some cases far more. The poor say they can get no other place to live in. Owing to the improvements now going on in this town, see enumeration book page 35 where 65 houses has been demolished and in their stead 15 new large shops and houses erected but not yet inhabited. The poor having no other place to go are much distressed at the idea of the property they occupy now having in a short time to be demolished also for further improvements they would pay double the rents they now do rather than be turned adrift so one said or their asking of if I know when they should have to leave in many instances seeing the schedules in my hand they mistook them for papers of notice to quit.

I would most respectfully beg to say that the amount awarded is very inadequate to the work done in reading carefully over my instructions numbering and endorsing schedules with the name of parish and town and making erasures. I was occupied nearly seven hours in delivering my schedules in some instances two or three calls parties out or from home, answering questions and giving directions I was occupied 20 hours in collecting filling up correcting and in the majority of cases signing many on learning how for drink neglected to do so I was occupied 27 hours and in writing in the enumerator book examining adding up and reproducing I was fully occupied 25 hours altogether 79 hours for a sum of £1.7.2¾ barely labourers wages notwithstanding I have not missed a single individual in any district.

Henry Young