CENSUS SUBSTITUTES
Dudley Archives have the following which need to be assessed as to their worth as census substitutes:
DE/3/3/5/1 - suit rolls (lists of tenants & residents)
DE/4/10/2/1 - Cottage Rentals
PR21/8/2/4 - book of payments to the poor of the parish of Halesowen - St John
A List of Families in the Archdeaconry of Stafford 1532-3 (Printed book published in 1976 & reprinted in 2008 by Staffordshire Archive Services). Contains lists of people in family groups per parish who gave a farthing (per person) towards the renovation of Lichfield Cathedral. In return a prayer was said for them and they appeared in this list. Many families gave extra farthings for dead parents, wives & children who are also listed. Most of the Black Country parishes are included in the list - however the original list is damaged and sometimes vital information is missing.
The Dudley Burgage List of 1541
The Catholic Family History Society has a spreadsheet known as The Margaret Higgins Database of Catholics and their friends in England 1607 - 1840 downloadable from the following website: catholicfhs.online/images/cfhs/higginsdb/PDF/Title&Intro.pdf
Protestation Returns 1642 - By order of the House of Commons, all adult men were asked to swear an oath of allegiance to the Protestant religion in 1642. Their names were duly inscribed in a list in each parish, and the list sent back to Parliament. Known lists that have survived are for the following parishes - click on Parish Name to see lists: Aldridge, Alrewas (inc. Fradley, Edingale & Orgreave), Armitage, Barton-under-Needwood, Burton-on-Trent, Darlaston, Drayton Bassett, Elford, Farewell, Great Barr, Hamstall-Ridware, Hanbury, Handsworth, Harborne, Harlaston, Hints, Kings Bromley, Lichfield City, Lichfield (Stow) St Chads (Shown as Stow on lists), Lichfield St Michael, Longdon, Mavesyn-Ridware, Newborough-Hoar Cross, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Norton Canes, Pelsall, Pipe Ridware, Rolleston-Anslow, Rushall, Shenstone, Tatenhill - Callingwood-Dunstall, Thorpe Constantine, Tipton, Tutbury, Wednesbury, Weeford, West Bromwich, Whittington, Wigginton, Willenhall (including Bentley), Wychnor, Yoxall - there is also a Return of Officals list. A digitized copy of the originals can be viewed at www. parliament.uk site. Tip: the site isn't very user friendly - enter Protestation Returns in search box - then click on the online map search (blue text) - IMPORTANT the page takes you to google maps - type one of the above mentioned Parish names in the search box. The Map will then zoom into the larger area around the place you are searching and place a purple circle over the area being covered. Within this purple area will be a number of small yellow church like buildings - click on the building (you may need to do this twice) and an information box appears giving you the name and reference number of the archive. Click on View in Archive Catalogue (in blue text) - another page of info. appears - click on the URL link towards the bottom of the page and eventually you get to see the digitized image (remember to use the direction & zoom in & out keys at the bottom right corner) which usually has several pages. Some of the images of the Protestation Returns are now (Dec 2022) viewable and searchable on FindMyPast.
Staffordshire Recusants List 1657 - list of Catholics within Staffordshire - transcribed and printed in Historical Collections of Staffordshire 4th Series Vol. II - click here for a downloadable spreadsheet list.
List of Active Parliamentarians during the Civil Wars dated 23 Aug 1662 (for Staffordshire) - transcribed & printed in Historical Collections of Staffordshire 4th Series Vol. II - click here for a downloadable spreadsheet list.
Hearth Tax Returns 1666 for the whole county of Staffordshire survive and have been transcribed and published in Collections for a History of Staffordshire. Pirehill Hundred (within the 1921 Volume): Seisdon & Offlow Hundreds (covers the Black Country and is within the 1923 Volume): Totmonslow Hundred (within the 1925 Volume): Cuttlestone Hundred (within the 1927 Volume): Lichfield (within the 1936 Volume). The original documents are held at The National Archives but haven't as yet been digitised (July 2023). There is also a transcript for Dudley & Stourbridge Hearth Tax Returns made by Peter Edward Chandler c. 1992 which assumably is available at Dudley Archives. Click on the following lists for a transcript in spreadsheet format for: Seisdon Hundred, Offlow Hundred
Papist Returns - 1680, 1706, 1767 & 1781 lists of known catholics. Names were not usually given but ages & occupations were. However the 1767 lists does contain names. The Black Country parishes are mostly cover in the papers contained in HL/PO/JO/10/7/273 the documents haven't yet been digitised. The original documents are held by Parliament Archives who can be contacted via their site at www. parliament.uk
Papist Returns 1767 - list of known catholics in each Parish for Staffordshire Diocese (includes parts of Derbyshire, Shropshire & Warwickshire). Each Parish Vicar sent a letter to the bishop giving the name, age, length of residence in that parish & occupation - including wife and children and any other catholic household members. The parish lists vary in amounts of details. The lists have been collected into one volume and cover the following Black Country areas (listed as they appear): Aldridge, Bushbury (many names), Bromwich West (West Bromwich), Handsworth (many names), Kingswinford, Rushall, Sedgley (many names), Walsall, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton (many names), Bilston, Wednesbury, Willenhall, Wednesfield - transcription in spreadsheet format of the above mentioned parishes can be found by clicking HERE. There are two lists towards the end - one listing those Parishes without any Catholics (Tipton) & those with Catholics but which no list was sent or has survived (Penn, Brierley Hill). There is no mention of Darlaston and it appears Bloxwich was included in the Walsall list. Some of the actual letters and lists from the vicars have survived which sometimes are more detailed that the information supplied in the Volume. The Volume seems to be made up of some actual lists made by the vicars themselves and partially a schedule which it is assumed was copied and sent to the House of Lords (see above paragraph). It is not known if the copy at the Parliament Archives is exactly the same as the Bishops Volume at Staffordshire Record Office. Volume can be ordered & viewed - Ref. No. LD56
Land Tax for 1781 for the whole of the Black Country except Wolverhampton
Bilston - 1695 - List of inhabitants including later notes about the death or removal of people on the list. D667/3/1
Lichfield - 1695 - Census giving name, age, martial status, relationship to head of household & address. Pdf available from Midland Ancestors - handwritten document.
Tipton - 1700 - List of Inhabitants on Parish Relief almost complete found at the rear of Parish Register (1698-1736). This can be viewed online at FMP by browse Staffordshire Registers function - register reference no. D3949/1/3 or is on spreadsheet format HERE.
Walsall Penny Dole 1799-1823 - a yearly list of heads of households that received a penny for every person living in their house & the amount they received in total. Original documents held at Walsall Local History Centre - a transcription has been completed by Malcolm Cooper which can also found at Walsall Local History Centre
Tithe Maps 1836-1845 - Map of each parish showing scheduled numbers for each house & parcel of land. Accompanying schedule - lists owners and occupiers for the scheduled numbers. TheGenealogist has maps & schedules online for all of the Black Country Parishes. Staffordshire Record Office has digitized all Tithe Maps in their possession and these can be purchased as pdfs for £10 each (via email request). The Record Office also has indexed owners & occupiers in one of their name indexes - the database is freely searchable and can be found at www.staffsnameindexes.org.uk
1910 Land Valuation "Domesday Survey" - Survey of every building & piece of land giving the owners & occupiers names - it uses Ordnance Survey maps giving each piece of land & building a handwritten schedule number.
Dudley Archives have the following which need to be assessed as to their worth as census substitutes:
DE/3/3/5/1 - suit rolls (lists of tenants & residents)
DE/4/10/2/1 - Cottage Rentals
PR21/8/2/4 - book of payments to the poor of the parish of Halesowen - St John
A List of Families in the Archdeaconry of Stafford 1532-3 (Printed book published in 1976 & reprinted in 2008 by Staffordshire Archive Services). Contains lists of people in family groups per parish who gave a farthing (per person) towards the renovation of Lichfield Cathedral. In return a prayer was said for them and they appeared in this list. Many families gave extra farthings for dead parents, wives & children who are also listed. Most of the Black Country parishes are included in the list - however the original list is damaged and sometimes vital information is missing.
The Dudley Burgage List of 1541
The Catholic Family History Society has a spreadsheet known as The Margaret Higgins Database of Catholics and their friends in England 1607 - 1840 downloadable from the following website: catholicfhs.online/images/cfhs/higginsdb/PDF/Title&Intro.pdf
Protestation Returns 1642 - By order of the House of Commons, all adult men were asked to swear an oath of allegiance to the Protestant religion in 1642. Their names were duly inscribed in a list in each parish, and the list sent back to Parliament. Known lists that have survived are for the following parishes - click on Parish Name to see lists: Aldridge, Alrewas (inc. Fradley, Edingale & Orgreave), Armitage, Barton-under-Needwood, Burton-on-Trent, Darlaston, Drayton Bassett, Elford, Farewell, Great Barr, Hamstall-Ridware, Hanbury, Handsworth, Harborne, Harlaston, Hints, Kings Bromley, Lichfield City, Lichfield (Stow) St Chads (Shown as Stow on lists), Lichfield St Michael, Longdon, Mavesyn-Ridware, Newborough-Hoar Cross, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Norton Canes, Pelsall, Pipe Ridware, Rolleston-Anslow, Rushall, Shenstone, Tatenhill - Callingwood-Dunstall, Thorpe Constantine, Tipton, Tutbury, Wednesbury, Weeford, West Bromwich, Whittington, Wigginton, Willenhall (including Bentley), Wychnor, Yoxall - there is also a Return of Officals list. A digitized copy of the originals can be viewed at www. parliament.uk site. Tip: the site isn't very user friendly - enter Protestation Returns in search box - then click on the online map search (blue text) - IMPORTANT the page takes you to google maps - type one of the above mentioned Parish names in the search box. The Map will then zoom into the larger area around the place you are searching and place a purple circle over the area being covered. Within this purple area will be a number of small yellow church like buildings - click on the building (you may need to do this twice) and an information box appears giving you the name and reference number of the archive. Click on View in Archive Catalogue (in blue text) - another page of info. appears - click on the URL link towards the bottom of the page and eventually you get to see the digitized image (remember to use the direction & zoom in & out keys at the bottom right corner) which usually has several pages. Some of the images of the Protestation Returns are now (Dec 2022) viewable and searchable on FindMyPast.
Staffordshire Recusants List 1657 - list of Catholics within Staffordshire - transcribed and printed in Historical Collections of Staffordshire 4th Series Vol. II - click here for a downloadable spreadsheet list.
List of Active Parliamentarians during the Civil Wars dated 23 Aug 1662 (for Staffordshire) - transcribed & printed in Historical Collections of Staffordshire 4th Series Vol. II - click here for a downloadable spreadsheet list.
Hearth Tax Returns 1666 for the whole county of Staffordshire survive and have been transcribed and published in Collections for a History of Staffordshire. Pirehill Hundred (within the 1921 Volume): Seisdon & Offlow Hundreds (covers the Black Country and is within the 1923 Volume): Totmonslow Hundred (within the 1925 Volume): Cuttlestone Hundred (within the 1927 Volume): Lichfield (within the 1936 Volume). The original documents are held at The National Archives but haven't as yet been digitised (July 2023). There is also a transcript for Dudley & Stourbridge Hearth Tax Returns made by Peter Edward Chandler c. 1992 which assumably is available at Dudley Archives. Click on the following lists for a transcript in spreadsheet format for: Seisdon Hundred, Offlow Hundred
Papist Returns - 1680, 1706, 1767 & 1781 lists of known catholics. Names were not usually given but ages & occupations were. However the 1767 lists does contain names. The Black Country parishes are mostly cover in the papers contained in HL/PO/JO/10/7/273 the documents haven't yet been digitised. The original documents are held by Parliament Archives who can be contacted via their site at www. parliament.uk
Papist Returns 1767 - list of known catholics in each Parish for Staffordshire Diocese (includes parts of Derbyshire, Shropshire & Warwickshire). Each Parish Vicar sent a letter to the bishop giving the name, age, length of residence in that parish & occupation - including wife and children and any other catholic household members. The parish lists vary in amounts of details. The lists have been collected into one volume and cover the following Black Country areas (listed as they appear): Aldridge, Bushbury (many names), Bromwich West (West Bromwich), Handsworth (many names), Kingswinford, Rushall, Sedgley (many names), Walsall, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton (many names), Bilston, Wednesbury, Willenhall, Wednesfield - transcription in spreadsheet format of the above mentioned parishes can be found by clicking HERE. There are two lists towards the end - one listing those Parishes without any Catholics (Tipton) & those with Catholics but which no list was sent or has survived (Penn, Brierley Hill). There is no mention of Darlaston and it appears Bloxwich was included in the Walsall list. Some of the actual letters and lists from the vicars have survived which sometimes are more detailed that the information supplied in the Volume. The Volume seems to be made up of some actual lists made by the vicars themselves and partially a schedule which it is assumed was copied and sent to the House of Lords (see above paragraph). It is not known if the copy at the Parliament Archives is exactly the same as the Bishops Volume at Staffordshire Record Office. Volume can be ordered & viewed - Ref. No. LD56
Land Tax for 1781 for the whole of the Black Country except Wolverhampton
Bilston - 1695 - List of inhabitants including later notes about the death or removal of people on the list. D667/3/1
Lichfield - 1695 - Census giving name, age, martial status, relationship to head of household & address. Pdf available from Midland Ancestors - handwritten document.
Tipton - 1700 - List of Inhabitants on Parish Relief almost complete found at the rear of Parish Register (1698-1736). This can be viewed online at FMP by browse Staffordshire Registers function - register reference no. D3949/1/3 or is on spreadsheet format HERE.
Walsall Penny Dole 1799-1823 - a yearly list of heads of households that received a penny for every person living in their house & the amount they received in total. Original documents held at Walsall Local History Centre - a transcription has been completed by Malcolm Cooper which can also found at Walsall Local History Centre
Tithe Maps 1836-1845 - Map of each parish showing scheduled numbers for each house & parcel of land. Accompanying schedule - lists owners and occupiers for the scheduled numbers. TheGenealogist has maps & schedules online for all of the Black Country Parishes. Staffordshire Record Office has digitized all Tithe Maps in their possession and these can be purchased as pdfs for £10 each (via email request). The Record Office also has indexed owners & occupiers in one of their name indexes - the database is freely searchable and can be found at www.staffsnameindexes.org.uk
1910 Land Valuation "Domesday Survey" - Survey of every building & piece of land giving the owners & occupiers names - it uses Ordnance Survey maps giving each piece of land & building a handwritten schedule number.
SURVIVING 1801 CENSUS'
Walsall (Town) (PO) & (Foreign - Bloxwich, Walsall Wood, Bentley etc.) (PO) - Original kept at Walsall Local History Centre
Wednesbury - Original kept at Staffordshire Record Office a copy is viewable at Sandwell Archives - (PO)
Click here to see a transcribed copy.
Walsall (Town) (PO) & (Foreign - Bloxwich, Walsall Wood, Bentley etc.) (PO) - Original kept at Walsall Local History Centre
Wednesbury - Original kept at Staffordshire Record Office a copy is viewable at Sandwell Archives - (PO)
Click here to see a transcribed copy.
SURVIVING 1811 CENSUS'
Walsall (Town) (PO) - Original kept at Walsall Local History Centre
Wednesbury - Original kept at Stafford Record Office - (PO)
Walsall (Town) (PO) - Original kept at Walsall Local History Centre
Wednesbury - Original kept at Stafford Record Office - (PO)
SURVIVING 1821 CENSUS'
Walsall (Town) (PO) - Original kept at Walsall Local History Centre
Wednesbury - Original kept at Staffordshire Record Office a copy is viewable at Sandwell Archives - (PO)
Walsall (Town) (PO) - Original kept at Walsall Local History Centre
Wednesbury - Original kept at Staffordshire Record Office a copy is viewable at Sandwell Archives - (PO)
SURVIVING 1831 CENSUS'
Sedgley - Original kept at Dudley Archives (currently lost/misfiled) - indexed under Sedgley Liber Parochialis as this is not the actual 1831 Census but a similar list of head of households. 1980s photocopy available to view which is partially not readable. A printed transcription from 2002 is also available.
Walsall (Town) (PO) - Original kept at Walsall Local History Centre
Sedgley - Original kept at Dudley Archives (currently lost/misfiled) - indexed under Sedgley Liber Parochialis as this is not the actual 1831 Census but a similar list of head of households. 1980s photocopy available to view which is partially not readable. A printed transcription from 2002 is also available.
Walsall (Town) (PO) - Original kept at Walsall Local History Centre
1841 CENSUS REF. NOS. & MISSING & PROBLEMATIC PAGES
HO107/978/5 West Bromwich - Oak Rd many names faded and some impossible to read - Ancestry's copy is more readable than FindMyPast.
HO107/985/7 Willenhall - Hall St. & John St. many faded pages with some unreadable names and surnames on FindMyPast however Ancestry's images are slightly more readable.
HO107/985/9 Willenhall - Island to Sand Beds all 16 pages are almost unreadable on FindMyPast therefore the transcription is very limited. Ancestry copy much darker, therefore many more names can be deciphered however there are still many that are wholly or partially unreadable.
HO107/978/5 West Bromwich - Oak Rd many names faded and some impossible to read - Ancestry's copy is more readable than FindMyPast.
HO107/985/7 Willenhall - Hall St. & John St. many faded pages with some unreadable names and surnames on FindMyPast however Ancestry's images are slightly more readable.
HO107/985/9 Willenhall - Island to Sand Beds all 16 pages are almost unreadable on FindMyPast therefore the transcription is very limited. Ancestry copy much darker, therefore many more names can be deciphered however there are still many that are wholly or partially unreadable.
1851 CENSUS REF. NOS. & MISSING & PROBLEMATIC PAGES
HO107/2027 (1i) Wednesbury (Potters Lane, North side Dudley St. Bulls Head & Camphill Lane) Enumerator uses abbreviated forms of first name - many of which are scrawled & unreadable - also uses just the initial letter of first name for non Head of Household members for many households. There are also quite a few entries which are too faded to read on the Ancestry copy - no missing pages. FMP copy darker and many of the unreadable entries that appear on Ancestry's copy are readable on this copy.
HO 107/2023 (1db) Ancestry copy printed page nos. 1-4 (Hatherton St.) most names very difficult to impossible to read. FMP copy easily readable.
HO107/2021 Bilston - St Mary (Inc's Oxford St. & Gozzard St.) Enumerator uses abbreviated forms or initial letter(s) of first name(s ) for non Head of Household.
HO107/2027 (1i) Wednesbury (Potters Lane, North side Dudley St. Bulls Head & Camphill Lane) Enumerator uses abbreviated forms of first name - many of which are scrawled & unreadable - also uses just the initial letter of first name for non Head of Household members for many households. There are also quite a few entries which are too faded to read on the Ancestry copy - no missing pages. FMP copy darker and many of the unreadable entries that appear on Ancestry's copy are readable on this copy.
HO 107/2023 (1db) Ancestry copy printed page nos. 1-4 (Hatherton St.) most names very difficult to impossible to read. FMP copy easily readable.
HO107/2021 Bilston - St Mary (Inc's Oxford St. & Gozzard St.) Enumerator uses abbreviated forms or initial letter(s) of first name(s ) for non Head of Household.
1861 CENSUS REF. NOS. & MISSING & PROBLEMATIC PAGES
Many families missing from Bilston & Willenhall Census' - needs to be investigated
RG9/1997 Wolverhampton Workhouse - inmates names & surnames given as initials.
RG9/2001 Willenhall - many first names badly abbreviated - some unreadable
RG9/2004 (1) - Bilston (Moxley part) Missing printed pages 1-2 and ends at page 18.
RG9/2004 (7) - Bilston (St Mary) Part of printed page 29 missing and maybe entries on the reverse side - William St.
RG9/2005 (10) Bilston (St Mary) Printed page 29 appears out of order and after Page 30 (6-11 Bradley St.)
RG9/2007 (15) Bilston (St Luke) Printed Page 1 is missing - ?? - 57 Church St.
RG9/2010 (8) Darlaston Printed Pages 1-4 - corner of page missing - the birth place or abode information no longer survives
RG9/2010 (11) Darlaston Printed Pages 12 & 13 missing- Walsall St. - to be investigated - missing families Mark & Ann Wilkes
RG9/2010 (12) Darlaston - Blockall & The Green - FMP version is too light making many names impossible or difficult to read. Ancestry copy much better to read & most names are readable.
RG9/2017 Walsall Union Workhouse - some inmates names given as initials
RG9/2035 Printed Page No. 21 - Wednesbury - 93 to 97 Cross Street - Missing - probably never handed in by the enumerator
RG9/2041 Printed Pages Nos. 17-24 - Tipton - 92 to 138 Park Lane - Missing - probably never handed in by the enumerator
RG9/2047 Dudley Union Workhouse at Sedgley - Inmates names and surnames are given as initials.
Many families missing from Bilston & Willenhall Census' - needs to be investigated
RG9/1997 Wolverhampton Workhouse - inmates names & surnames given as initials.
RG9/2001 Willenhall - many first names badly abbreviated - some unreadable
RG9/2004 (1) - Bilston (Moxley part) Missing printed pages 1-2 and ends at page 18.
RG9/2004 (7) - Bilston (St Mary) Part of printed page 29 missing and maybe entries on the reverse side - William St.
RG9/2005 (10) Bilston (St Mary) Printed page 29 appears out of order and after Page 30 (6-11 Bradley St.)
RG9/2007 (15) Bilston (St Luke) Printed Page 1 is missing - ?? - 57 Church St.
RG9/2010 (8) Darlaston Printed Pages 1-4 - corner of page missing - the birth place or abode information no longer survives
RG9/2010 (11) Darlaston Printed Pages 12 & 13 missing- Walsall St. - to be investigated - missing families Mark & Ann Wilkes
RG9/2010 (12) Darlaston - Blockall & The Green - FMP version is too light making many names impossible or difficult to read. Ancestry copy much better to read & most names are readable.
RG9/2017 Walsall Union Workhouse - some inmates names given as initials
RG9/2035 Printed Page No. 21 - Wednesbury - 93 to 97 Cross Street - Missing - probably never handed in by the enumerator
RG9/2041 Printed Pages Nos. 17-24 - Tipton - 92 to 138 Park Lane - Missing - probably never handed in by the enumerator
RG9/2047 Dudley Union Workhouse at Sedgley - Inmates names and surnames are given as initials.
1871 CENSUS REF. NOS. & MISSING & PROBLEMATIC PAGES
RG10/2953 Printed page 19-29 Bilston - Mill St. many unreadable entries on FMP - all entries readable on Ancestry images.
RG10/2990 Printed Page No. 29 onwards - Wednesbury - 163-??? Queen Street - Missing from film - needs to be investigated
RG10/2953 Printed page 19-29 Bilston - Mill St. many unreadable entries on FMP - all entries readable on Ancestry images.
RG10/2990 Printed Page No. 29 onwards - Wednesbury - 163-??? Queen Street - Missing from film - needs to be investigated
1881 CENSUS REF. NOS. & MISSING & PROBLEMATIC PAGES
RG11/2863 Printed Page No. 41 - Tipton - courts off 6 Park Lane West - Address part of page missing and large crease through the centre of all first names. FMP & Ancestry have all first names transcribed with many question marks e.g. S???h which may mean that they are not discoverable via a search with a full name e.g. Sarah.
RG11/2863 Printed Page No. 41 - Tipton - courts off 6 Park Lane West - Address part of page missing and large crease through the centre of all first names. FMP & Ancestry have all first names transcribed with many question marks e.g. S???h which may mean that they are not discoverable via a search with a full name e.g. Sarah.