1951 Census Preliminary Report
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GOVERNMENT OF NORTHERN IRELAND CENSUS OF POPULATION OF NORTHERN IRELAND I95I PRELIMINARY REPORT Printed and presented pursuant to 14 * IS Geo. 6., Chap. 6. BELFAST : HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE 1951 PRICE Is. 6d. NET GOVERNMENT OF NORTHERN IRELAND CENSUS OF POPULATION OF NORTHERN IRELAND 1951 PRELIMINARY REPORT Printed and presented pursuant to 14 S- 15 Geo. 6., Chap. 6. BELFAST : HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE 1951 PREFACE In accordance with the provisions of the Census Act (Northern Ireland), 1951, a Census of the population was taken on 8th April, 1951. This was the third since the establishment of the Government of Northern Ireland, two earlier Censuses having been carried out in 1926 and 1937. It was intended to take a Census in 1941, but this was found impracticable owing to war conditions. It is forty years since, in 1911, Censuses were carried out simultaneously in all parts of the British Isles. This statistical achievement has been repeated on the present occasion, and the results should prove of very great interest. Further, the Northern Ireland Census of 1951 was a much fuller one, as regards the number of questions asked, than that of 1937—for instance, each person was required to state his or her occupation for the first time since the Census of 1926. No question, however, was asked which had not been included either in 1926 or 1937. As on previous occasions, the Census was. taken on a de facto and uot Side jure basis, i.e., it included all persons, regardless of nationality or usual place of residence, who spent the night of 8th April in Northern Ireland. It excluded all Northern Ireland residents who spent that night elsewhere. For this reason it is usual to select a date which does not fall within any period when tourist and holiday traffic is heavy. Northern Ireland is fortunate in having at its service a very homogeneous and efficient body of enumerators, namely the Royal Ulster Constabulary. In spite of the inclemency of the weather and the fact that the average number of persons dealt with by each enumerator was 1,292 (as against 887 in England and 524 in Scotland), the onerous duties falling on the police were carried out with the utmost smoothness and in anextremely creditable manner. The country was divided into 33 Census Districts (over which the District Inspector^ of the R.U.C. acted as superintendents) and ihto 1,061 enumeration areas. The returns were distributed in the week preceding the Census date to all persons required by the Act to complete them, e.g., heads of households, persons in charge of hospitals, nursing homes and boarding schools, goyerriors of prisons, masters of ships and the Commanding Officers of Army and R. A.F. EstabUshments. (Special arrangements were made with the Admiralty in connec tion with Naval vessels.) The collection of the completed Returns took place between 9th and 21st April, during which period the enumerators were required to examine them and to institute the necessary enquiries to enable errors to be corrected and omissions made good. Another duty faUing on the enumerators was the compilation of Enumeration Books for each sub-division of each District and the building up of total populations by Counties and County Boroughs. These populations formed the basis for the announcement made by the Minister of Finance in Parliament on 23rd May ; and the information (except that relating to rehgion) contained in this Report is derived from the Enumeration Books only. The figures should, therefore, be regarded as provisional, and subject to revision during the machine tabulation stage : but past experieiice has shown that only very small amendments are Hkely to be need^. This preliminary Report will be followed as soon as possible by detailed volumes relating to each County, together with one for Belfast County Borough. These will contain a large number of statistical tables based upon the various questions asked in the Census Returns, and the series will be concluded by a general Report covering the whole country. The success of the undertaking was in no small measure due to the valuable help given by the Press and the B.B.C., which spared no efforts to keep the public fully informed and to deal in advance with points on which misunderstandings were likely to arise. To this must be added the very welcome assistance given by the Clergy, School Teachers, Pubhc Libraries, Chambers of Commerce, Young Farmers' Clubs, Cinema proprietors and heads of large businesses by displaying posters and by distributing and discussing a booklet (entitled " The Coming Census ") issued by this Office. Grateful acknowledgment is also made of the valuable co-operation of the General Register Office, London, H.M. Stationery Office, the Defence Departments, H.M. Customs and Excise, the Post Office, the Ulster Transport Authority and the officers of the various Local Authorities. A special tribute is due to the staffs of certain large Hospitals and other Institutions who took great pains to ensure that the questions relating to all inmates were fully and correctly answered, thus greatly lightening the task of the enumerators. Finally, the commonsense and goodwill of the Northern Ireland public were evidenced by the fact that no case of refusal to supply information has been reported from any district. W. A. CARSON, Registrar-General, GENERAL REGISTER OFFICE, FERMANAGH HOUSE, ORMEAU AVENUE, BELFAST. October, 1951. CONTENTS Page Changes in Administrative Areas .. .. .. .. 4 Questions asked on Census Return as specified in the Census Act (N.L), 1951 . 5 STATISTICAL NOTES Population of Northern Ireland .. .. 6 Natural Increase and Intercensal Movement 6 Distribution of Population—Urban and Rural Areas 7 Birthplace and Length of Residence 8 Sexes .. .. .. 8 Religion .. .. .. • TABLES Table Subject of Table Area for which Statistics are given 1 Population 1821—1951 Northern Ireland .. .. .. 9 2 Population 1861—1951 Counties and County Boroughs .. .. 9 3 Population 1937 and 1951 Counties, County and Municipal Boroughs, Urban and Rural Districts and Wards of County Boroughs .. .. .. .. 10 4 Population 1937 and 1951 Belfast County Borough and Environs 12 5 Population and Parliamentary Electors for United Kingdom Elections .. Parhamentary Constituencies 12 6 Population and Parliamentary Electors for Northern Ireland Elections Parliamentary Constituencies 13 7 Population 1937 and 1951 Towns created under the Towns Improvement (Ireland) Act, 1854, and Towns or Villages con taining 50 or more houses but having no legally defined boundaries .. .. .. 14 8 Persons born outside Northern Ireland and Counties, County and Municipal Boroughs, Urban resident in Northern Ireland for less than 10 and Rural Districts and Wards of County years Boroughs .. .. .. .. 15 9 Religions 1926, 1937, 1951 Counties and County Boroughs 16 CHANGES IN ADMINISTRATIVE AREAS The following changes in the constitution or boundaries of administrative areas have taken place since 1937:— "^.' '^' -^'^ ^ CO. ANTRIM (1) Ballymena Urban District was made a Municipal Borough (23rd May, 1939). (2) Larne Urban District was made a Municipal Borough (23rd May, 1939) ; and the boundary was extended (1st April, 1948). (3) Carrickfergus Urban District was made a Municipal Borough (1st July, 1949), the boundary having been extended (1st April, 1946). (4) A portion of Larne Rural District was transferred to Carrickfergus Urban District (1st April, 1946) ; and a portion to Larne Municipal Borough (1st April, 1948). CO. ARMAGH (5) The boundary of Armagh Urban District was extended (1st April, 1945 and 11th June, 1946) (6) The boundary of Keady Urban District was extended (1st April, 1948). (7) A portion of Armagh Rural District was transferred to Armagh Urban District (1st April, 1945 and 11th June, 1946); and a portion to Keady Urban District (1st April, 1948). (8) Lurgan Urban District was made a Municipal Borough (7th July, 1949), the boundary having been extended (1st April, 1938). (9) Portadown Urban District was made a Municipal Borough (2nd October, 1947), the boundary having been extended (1st April, 1947). (10) A portion of Lurgan Rural District was transferred to Lurgan Urban District (1st April, 1938) ; and a portion to Portadown Urban District (1 st April, 1947). CO. DOWN (11) Kilkeel, formerly a town under the Towns Improvement (Ireland) Act, 1854, and forming part of Kilkeel Rural District, was made an Urban District (1st April, 1937). (12) Newtownards Urban District was made a Municipal Borough (23rd May, 1938) ; and the boundary was extended (1st April, 1950). (13) The boundary of Bangor Municipal Borough was extended (1st April, 1950). (14) A portion of Newtownards Rural District was transferred to Newtownards Municipal Borough (1st April, 1950) ; and a portion to Bangor Municipal Borough (1st April, 1950). (15) The boundary of Holywood Urban District was extended (1 st April, 1946). (16) A portion of Castlereagh Rural District was transferred to Holywood Urban District (1st April, 1946). CO. FERMANAGH (17) Enniskillen Urban District was made a Municipal Borough (30th May, 1949), the boundary having been extended (1st April, 1945 and 1st April, 1947). (18) A portion of Enniskillen Rural District was transferred to Enniskillen Urban District (1st April, 1945 and 1st April, 1947). CO. LONDONDERRY (19) The Wards of Londonderry County Borough were reduced from five to three (15th May, 1938). CO. TYRONE (20) The boundary of Cookstown Urban District was extended (1st April, 1947). (21) The boundary of Dungannon Urban District was extended (1st April, 1949). (22) A portion of Cookstown Rural District was transferred to Cookstown Urban District (1st April, 1947). (23) A portion of Dungannon Rural District was transferred to Dungannon Urban District (1st April, 1949). The matters included in the Census Return, as specified in the Second Schedule to tlie Census Act (Northern Ireland), 1951, were as follows :— 1. Full name. 2. Relation to head of family or other person by whom the return is to be made.