That’s right, count ‘em. Seven. Ancestry.com now has the seven available Scotland censuses—1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, and 1901—online.

But before you start hunting, keep these things in mind:

INDEXES ONLY—NO IMAGES
The Ancestry.com Scottich census collection contains indexes of all seven censuses, but no images. The indexes still provide useful information. You will find names, genders, relationships, addresses, occupations, and sometimes more.

1841 CENSUS STRAIGHTALK: THE PROS AND THE CONS
Although census records were taken in Scotland before 1841, they contained only statistical information—no names. Some enumerators (census takers) recorded names, but most of these records were destroyed in fires. The 1841 census was the first census to record names and other important family history data for the entire nation.

But that’s not all. The 1841 census is important because, until 1855, there was no civil registration. That means churches—not the government—kept vital records. The 1841 (and 1851) census is one of few government records for the time.

Unfortunately, the 1841 census also has a few pitfalls. First, while names were recorded, relationships weren’t. So you will see no “head of household,” “wife,” “son,” “daughter,” or other designations on the records. Individuals in a household may be non-immediate family members, servants or workers, or even visitors.

Also, watch out for the age pitfall. If you were fifteen or younger, the enumerator recorded your exact age; if you were older, he approximated. Age was rounded down to the nearest five years.

What you will find on the 1841 census is location (village, street, etc.), names, approximate ages, occupations, and whether or not the individual was born in the county. Sometimes, in the spot for county, the enumerator recorded abbreviations like E, I, or F, indicating that the individual was born in England/Wales, Ireland, or a foreign location.

A sample index record for the 1841 Scotland census looks like this:

The record is for a boy named John Lloyd. Since he is under fifteen his exact age—eleven—is recorded. Neither his relationship to the head of the household nor the names of his parents are listed.

Because he was born in the county where the census record was taken— Midlothian—this information is included. In most instances, if he had been born in another county it would not have been recorded.

1851 AND BEYOND
Starting with the 1851 census, information was more complete. Ages were exact—not rounded off—and relationships were included. So were the names of an individual’s mother and father.

Birthplace information was also more exact—parishes were often included along with the county.

A sample index record for the 1851 census looks like this:

This record is for a different young man named John Lloyd. Notice that his exact age—twenty-two—is given, along with his mother’s name, Christina. The parish where he was born—Edinburgh—is given along with the county. Another interesting piece of information listed is his occupation—“Groom.”

WHY STOP HERE?
Why is the 1901 Scotland census the last one available on Ancestry.com? The answer is simple. This is the last census from Scotland that the government has made available to the public.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
To learn more about researching your Scottish ancestry, try a search for “Scotland” in the Ancestry. com Learning Center. You’ll find a number of useful articles written by experienced genealogists about how to search the census records and where to go from there.