The 1851 Ilkeston census; introduction

This census was taken on the night of Sunday, 30th March, 1851 and its reference index is also HO 107.

In this census the following information of an individual can be found:

  • Ÿ         forename and surname
  • Ÿ         relationship to the household head
  • Ÿ         marital status,  usually for adults above 16 years old
  • Ÿ         age (at last birthday)
  • Ÿ         sex
  • Ÿ         occupation/ source of income, if any
  • Ÿ         county and parish of birth
  • Ÿ         country of birth if outside of England and Wales
  • Ÿ         whether suffering from certain disabilities… blind or ‘deaf and dumb’ or ‘an idiot’.

An address was usually given for each schedule number and this could vary in detail. It may be, for example, just be ‘Cotmanhay’ or ‘Little Hallam’, but often it gave the street name. House numbers were rare until the 1871 census.

Ilkeston (including Cotmanhay) was covered by nine enumeration districts, numbered 7 to 15.
They were all put together in order into one census Piece and this was given the number 2126.
Also included were areas of Nottinghamshire….Cossall and Trowell.

When searching for an individual or family in the 1851 census, you may have a reference HO 107 2126/42

  • Ÿ         HO 107 refers to the year of the census
  • Ÿ         2126 tells you that this part of the census covers Ilkeston and district
  • Ÿ         42 is the folio number….your person / household will be found on the two pages of this folio.

If you also have the schedule number then you can locate the individual or family immediately (Note that the schedule number is not a house number)

I have included a version of the complete Ilkeston census but as some of you might find it difficult to navigate this I have also broken the census down into its relevant Enumeration Districts. (see below)

On the site there is also an alphabetical list of the people listed in this census with notes on many of them, compiled from the same sources. Again I have included a full list which I have then also broken down into sections.

District 7 (someone has overwritten this with 3a).
All that part of the Ecclesiastical District of Cotmanhay being part of the Parish of Ilkeston, bound on the north by the Parish of Shipley, on the East by the Erewash Canal, on the West by the Public road from Heanor to Ilkeston and on the South by the public foot road from Shipley Common to the Church and thence forward to Awsworth, including Potter’s Row, Henshaw Nook and the Twitchell.
The enumerator was John Potter (farmer of Cotmanhay?) who listed 586 persons.
He listed 102 inhabited houses, one uninhabited house and two houses being built.

District 8 (3B).
All the part of the Ecclesiastical District of Cotmanhay in the Parish of Ilkeston, bounded on the north by the Public road from Cotmanhay Church to Awsworth, on the east by the river Erewash and by Longdon’s farm, on the south by Sick Dyke, and on the west by the foot road from Shipley Common to the Church, including Beer’s Lane, the Folly and Botany Bay.
The enumerator was Henry Potter (farmer of Cotmanhay and brother of John Potter?) who listed 618 persons.
He listed 119 inhabited houses and one house being built.

District 9 (3c).
All that part of the Ecclesiastical District of  Cotmanhay in the Parish of Ilkeston bounded on the South by Grass Lane, Duke Street and the Road to the Potteries, on the East by the River Erewash, on the West by the Public Road from Ilkeston to Heanor, and on the north by Sick Dyke and Longdon’s Farm inclusive, including Rutland Cottage, Grass Lane, north side of Duke Street, and Wm. Horridge’s House.
The enumerator was John Barker (farmer of Bottom Road?) who listed 279 persons.
He listed 54 inhabited houses and one boat on the Erewash Canal.

District 10 (3d).
All that part of the Parish of Ilkeston bounded on the north by Duke Street, East by the River Erewash, on the south by Burr Lane, and on the west by Middle road and the foot road from Middle road to Burr Lane, including the East side of Middle road, south side of Duke Street, Potteries, Ropery, Rutland Wharf and Mill.
The enumerator was John Taylor (farmer of Middle Road?) who listed 707 persons.
He listed 140 inhabited houses, three uninhabited houses, one house being built and two boats on the Erewash Canal.
The entries for the boats are crossed through although their occupants are included in the total number of persons.

District 11 (3e).
All that part of the Parish of Ilkeston extending from the West End of Chapel Street to Grass Lane on the north and Cotmanhay on the East by Middle Road and the foot Road from thence to Burr Lane and on the West by the River Nutbrook, comprising the Lower part of Bath Street, Mr. Taylor’s farm house, Back Lane, Work House Hill and Bower Hill.
The enumerator was William Riley, butcher of Bath Street, who listed 685 persons and 149 inhabited houses.

District 12 (3f).
All that part of the Parish of Ilkeston extending from Kings Head Inn inclusive to Chapel Street and Norman Cottage inclusive, comprising the north side of the Market Place, both sides of Bath Street, Mount Street, Club Row, Chapel Street, South Terrace and Burr Lane to Wheatley Croft inclusive.
The enumerator was Thomas Barker (either Senior or Junior, of Albion Place?) who listed 939 persons.
He listed 200 inhabited houses and one uninhabited house.

District 13 (3g).
All that part of the Parish of Ilkeston bounded on the West by South Street, and on the north by East Street and Wheatley Croft, on the East by the River Erewash, and on the South by Sough Closes, Gilbert Bailey’s Farm and the upper part of the Nottingham Road, comprising the East side of South Street, the Toll Bar, both sides of Nottingham Road to the White Lion exclusive, Mill Field Lane, Sough Closes, Old Mill, the Park, Cricket Ground, Anchor Row, High Street, East side of Market Place, Both sides of East Street and of Burr Lane to Wheatley Croft.
The enumerator was Richard Vickerstaff, the Burr Lane Collector of the Poor Rates, who listed 828 persons, with an estimated additional eight being temporarily absent.
He listed 164 inhabited houses and one uninhabited house.

District 14 (3h).
All that part of the Parish of Ilkeston bounded on the West by the River Nutbrook, on the South by Little Hallam and Black Hill, on the north by Mr. Taylor’s Farm and on the East by South Street and Boot Lane including both sides of Boot Lane, West side of South Street, both sides of Moor’s Bridge Lane, Pewit Wharf and pits, The Lawn and Pimlico to the Independent Chapel inclusive.
The enumerator was Charles Chadwick (butcher of Common End?) who listed 673 persons.
He listed 131 inhabited houses, one uninhabited house, one house being built and one boat on the Nutbrook Canal.
The entry for this boat is crossed through although its occupants are included in the total number of persons.

District 15 (3i).
All that part of the Parish of Ilkeston bounded by the East and South by the River Erewash, on the West by the Nutbrook containing Little Hallam, Gallows Inn, Hunger Hill, Kensington and the Nottingham Road as far as the White Lion and Gilbert Bailey’s House, both inclusive.
The enumerator was Ralph Shaw, saddler of South Street, who listed 807 persons.
He listed 165 inhabited houses and two uninhabited houses.

The Registrar of the area was George Blake Norman, surgeon and general practitioner of Dalby House in Anchor Row.
Richard Birch Spencer of Basford was the Superintendent Registrar.

(You could now go to view the complete 1851 Ilkeston census)