Thursday 11 September 2003, 2pm, Chapel
The use of 19th-century census data to investigate local migration
Andy Hinde, University of Southampton
The use of the 19th-century census reports and the census enumerators' books (CEBs) for the analysis of local migration levels and trends has a long history. Until recently, most work using the census reports has been done at the registration-district level using the demographic accounting equation to estimate net migration. Work involving the CEBs has most often analysed the information on birthplace, looking both at variations in the proportions native-born through time and over space, and among members of different occupational groups. The birthplace data have also been used to describe the range of places from which the inhabitants of a specific locality have been drawn, and the distances they have moved since they were born.
In recent years, however, several new possibilities have opened up. Some of these are the result of new developments in data availability. For example, the release of a machine-readable and searchable version of the entire 1881 census now means that the destinations of out-migrants can be studied, at least for males of certain birth cohorts, thus complementing the existing studies of the origins of in-migrants.
This paper reviews various methods, both traditional and new, which might be used to examine aspects of migration in 19th-century England at the sub-regional or local level. It also suggests some possible extensions to existing methods. The paper discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches and illustrates them with examples drawn from many different parts of England, but especially the counties of Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire.
Department of Social Statistics
University of Southampton
Southampton SO17 1BJ
Tel: +44 (0)2380 593419
Email: prah@socsci.soton.ac.uk
Using Victorian census enumerators' books (CEBs) for migration analysis
Peter Tilley, London School of Economics
This paper examines the feasibility of using late 19th century census enumerators' books (CEBs) in the study of migration patterns. It focuses on data drawn from the CEBs for Kingston on Thames in 1871 and also utilises those for the whole of the UK in 1881. This enables comparisons to be made between those who are 'stayers', ie observed in Kingston in both censuses, and those 'movers' who were in Kingston in 1871 but were found elsewhere in the UK in 1881. Out of a population of 27,000 in 1871, 10,500 have been identified as stayers in Kingston and 6,000 identified as movers from the town. All movers have their new parish of residence identified together with its distance and compass direction from Kingston. Family structures can be shown for both locations.
From this data we are able to show how migration is related to age, marital status and position within the household and whether a person, in moving away from Kingston, is leaving their parish of birth. We are also able to compare the characteristics of movers and stayers and draw conclusions from the results, with particular reference to occupational change. Some attempt is made to assess whether migration was motivated by improved wage rates although a lack of substantive wage rate data prevents any firm conclusions.
The paper also discusses how the patterns revealed by the CEBs compare with those evident in the contemporary census reports where 'current county of residence' was tabulated against 'county of birth'.
Economic History Department
London School of Economics
Houghton Street
London WC2A 2AE
Email: ptilley@nildram.co.uk
Demographic microsimulation of lifecycle poverty in the family
Jim Oeppen, University of Cambridge
Family histories created by demographic microsimulation are combined with income and expenditure data to explore the way in which relative poverty varied over the life cycle of the family. Family budgets and patterns of net-discretionary income based on individuals' earnings and consumption are constructed for simulated families at two periods in the 19th century, using Boot's data for cotton industry wages by age and sex. This paper will address the following questions with regard to family life-cycle poverty:
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Which demographic parameters had the most impact?
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Who contributed most to the family's net budget?
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What was the impact of child and female labour-force participation?
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How disadvantaged were widows?
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How accurate was Rowntree's classic representation of the longitudinal pattern?
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Was there a temporal shift in the quality/ quantity trade-off of consumption?
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What does the variation by family size tell us about the potential for a quality/ quantity trade-off in the number of children?
Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure
Sir William Hardy Building
Department of Geography
Downing Place
Cambridge CB2 3EN
Email: jeo1@cus.cam.ac.uk