1911 census : Howth, Co Dublin. ("Burrow_South__covers_all_of_Burrow_Townland_in...

0lddog · 27-04-2018 3:16pm #1

The 1911 census reports for the above area uses what seems to me to be some ad hoc house numbering scheme to cover premises on a number of roads.

It is described as :

"Houses in Burrow South (covers all of Burrow Townland in Howth Parish) (Howth, Dublin)"

Does anyone know how to decode the numbering scheme that was used - to give the address for each premises ( or even to give the road on which each premises was located ) ?

pinkypinky · 27-04-2018 3:44pm

We've talked about this a few times on the board before so have a search. I don't want us to get into repeating ourselves.

Essentially, the numbers were assigned by the enumerators to ensure they got every occupied house. They won't necessarily be the same house number in 1901/1911. But looking at the building return for a house will help you figure out if it's the same one.

0lddog · 27-04-2018 10:04pm

Thanks for your reply.

Yes, in that area of Howth there are many more premises listed in the 1911 census compared to the 1901 census, so by no means a one to one relationship between the two years.

The families I'm interested in would not have lived in the area in 1901. In any event I cant see that I'm going to be able to pick up addresses ( or even road names ) by trying to cross match the returns for the two.

( Didnt manage to pull up anything on this topic using 'search forum' )

Do you know of other other areas that were handled in this way & have the key sheets to allow for their decode been located ?

tabbey · 27-04-2018 10:08pm

0lddog wrote: »

Do you know of other other areas that were handled in this way & have the key sheets to allow for their decode been located ?

All areas.

Some urban streets would have followed street numbers, but not all.

Otherwise, the constable / enumerator made his own numbers. There is no key to decode.

pinkypinky · 27-04-2018 10:32pm

Unfortunately, something the census website is really lacking is a map plotting a place to a location.

0lddog · 27-04-2018 10:35pm

tabbey wrote: »

All areas.

Some urban streets would have followed street numbers, but not all.

Otherwise, the constable / enumerator made his own numbers. There is no key to decode.

Thanks tabbey, I had no idea that this was an endemic issue

tabbey · 27-04-2018 11:48pm

0lddog wrote: »

Thanks tabbey, I had no idea that this was an endemic issue

We have to remember that the census was held to enumerate the population, not to assist genealogists a hundred years later.

Duckett · 28-04-2018 11:10am

I assume you reviewed the following links

https://www.irishancestors.ie/resources/unique-resources/index-of-townlands-1901/

https://www.townlands.ie/

there are enumeration district maps with the actual street layout at the time of each census for howth - Barony of Coolock etc - I recall noting that there was considerable change in that 10 year period. They are accessible online but I am struggling to locate them today - decoding them will be a challenge

Incidentally, I am interested in learning about a building on the East Pier know as the "White House" - all info appreciated

tabbey · 28-04-2018 10:08pm

I assume Olddog wishes to find the location / address of a known ancestor.

There are ways to get around the difficulty you have experienced.

Firstly there are some clues in Census Forms B1 & B2, the former describing the house, the latter the number of outbuildings.

Burrow townland is basically the suburb of Sutton, a predominantly middle class area, most residents likely to be listed in Thom's directories. Thesecan be perused in Dublin City Library & Archive, 138 - 144 Pearse St, D2 or at the National Library of Ireland, Kildare St,
D2. Hopefully the house name will be given,which may be seen on the Ordnance Survey 25 inch map (early 1900s).Otherwise a street number.

If this does not work, the valuation revision books (aka "cancelled books") may be perused in the Valuation Office, Irish Life Centre, Lower Abbey Street, D1. Most of these are now digitised, you will only be given the actual books if there is a problem with the digital version. However the suburbs are difficult to navigate in this source, as they started as rural areas, and gradually expanded with new houses totally changing the layout of books.

If you have difficulty accessing these repositories you can give details of who you are interested in, and maybe get help.

Victor · 28-04-2018 10:34pm

The railway and trams made it a viable location for middle and upper middle class people to live and commute to the city.

The red line marks the boundary of Burrow: http://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/5361859#map=15/53.3909/-6.1113

This is likely to be coterminous with "Burrow South", Burrow North being north of the estuary.

Circa 1840, there was very little there: http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V2,725710,739358,9,7

The 1911 Census lists 150-158 (not sure why different, but some vacancies) properties. This map (circa 1905) shows about 110 http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V2,725781,739400,10,9 with some under construction on the Dublin Road.

Note the hotel, train station, power station, church, etc. Also consider the number of out-buildings. This may give clues.

Do you want to let us know which property is was?

1911 census : Howth, Co Dublin. ("Burrow_South__covers_all_of_Burrow_Townland_in...

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