Job of Census enumerators in the 19th century

I recently posted regarding my idea of the duties of the Census enumerator
in the 19th century.

"The householder was to complete their individual household schedules
recording who was in their household during the period Sunday night to
Monday morning. On the morning after census night, the census enumerators
collected the household schedules. If these were not completed properly, the
census enumerator was supposed to ask for extra details at the doorstep,
although there is considerable evidence that this was not done uniformly. If
the householder was unable to fill in the schedule, perhaps because he or
she was illiterate, the census enumerator was to fill it in for them. In
1871, the majority of some Welsh-speaking parishes in Anglesey were filled
in by the enumerators.
"These individual household schedules were then transcribed into the census
enumerators' books, together with statistical information, and it is from
these books that copies of the census returns can be obtained."

Of course today the enumerator merely checks the returns but the actual data
entry is done centrally.

Slarty...

As far as I could see in 2001, the enumerator never saw the return in most
cases once it had been delivered to the household. Pretty cushy compared
with the past.

Graeme Wall...

While many were posted, quite a few weren't and had to be chased up. Then
the Post Office managed to lose a fair few.

Nick...

I was also a Census enumerator in 1981. I did two enumeration districts. The
original ED was mainly sheltered housing where nearly all the residents were
widows over the age of 80. In nearly all cases, I had to fill in the form
for them and, of course, I didn't get paid any more for that although the ED
was very small.

In particular I remember that "retired" women (ie not described as
housewives) were asked what their previous occupation had been.

In most cases, they had not worked since they had got married so that their
occupation was that when they had got married at 24, say, some 60 years
previously. Given that this information is used as an indicator of social
class or socio-economic group it seemed to me that this information was of
very little use. Indeed at subsequent meetings at which the OPCS were
present (I worked in the Population Statistics Group of a local authority) I
gave them this feedback of my experience.

Job of Census enumerators in the 19th century - not much has changed