Pros: Between 1841 and 1891 there were six censuses held in Shropshire, one every ten years. The census enumerators’ books list every occupant of a building or canal boat on the census night. For each person details such as name, age, marital status and occupation are given. The censuses from 1851 onwards also give the relationships within a household and the place of birth of each individual.

Cons: The ages provided by the census records may not be entirely accurate. During the 1842 census, for example, the ages of adults are rounded down to the nearest 5 years. It is also important to remember that the information given came from the individuals themselves and is not always reliable. Also, a few enumerators were careless, and sometimes illiterate. Therefore there are errors in some of the details and spellings.