GB Historical DB

Occupational statistics for counties and large towns in 1911

Table ID:
OCC_1911_LG_T     (1251904)
Contents:
Occupational statistics for counties and large towns in 1911
Approx. number of rows:
40,438
Table type:
Raw Data
Documentation Author:
Humphrey Southall
Geography:
Reporting units are identified by:
   Administrative County
   Local Government District
   Local Government District Type
Chronology:
The data are for the single year 1911.

Sources:

  1. This is an almost complete transcription of the very large Table 13, 'Occupations (condensed list) of males and females at ages 10 years and upwards; in England and Wales, the aggregates of urban and rural districts respectively in England and Wales, administrative counties, county boroughs, Metropolitan boroughs, urban districts of which the population exceeded 50, 000 persons, and the aggregates of rural districts in administrative counties', which occupies the whole of Volume II of the 1911 Occupation Tables. The only data not included are (a) the overall England and Wales totals for 'Aggregate of urban districts', (b) the overall England and Wales totals for 'Aggregate of rural districts', and (c) the table for 'Birmingham, city of, C. B. as altered since date of census'.
  2. These data were originally computerised by the Centre for Data Digitisation and Analysis at the Queen's University, Belfast, as part of the JISC-funded Historical Population Reports project (HistPop). They were downloaded from the HistPop web site on 19th April 2016 as a set of separate spreadsheets, one for each reporting area. They were then assembled into a single dataset by the GB Historical GIS project, checked and corrected, and this documentation written.

Notes:

  1. The actual classification into Orders and sub-Orders as used in the table is listed below, but its use in the table is confused:
    • Although the table lists 22 "Orders" for all units, all but one have no actual data listed for them. The exception is Order VIII. FISHING, for which no more detailed categories are ever listed.
    • Thirteen of the Orders are divided into numbered sub-Orders. These are again always listed in the tables, but data are given for them only if more detailed un-numbered categories are not listed.
    • There are two different kinds of un-numbered categories in the table, distinguished by whether their names are printed in italics:
      • Non-italicised categories are listed for all areas, and count towards the overall total occupied.
      • Italicised categories are listed only for areas where the relevant occupations are particularly important, and generally in the England and Wales totals. They do not count towards the overall total occupied. They are always components of the sub-Order they are listed below, but not necessarily of the non-italicised category they are listed below. Note that in many sectors key information exists only at this level, such as the division of the textiles industry into wool, cotton, etc.
    We use the occup_level column to facilitate analysis: to compute overall totals, or the number in a particular order, rows with occup_order = 4, i.e. the italicised categories, shoud be excluded. For more complex analyses, the occup_1911_codebook table should be used.
  2. The table contains data for the following numbers of areas classified by their value of lg_type:
    • NAT (1 area): National total for England and Wales.
    • AC (62 areas): Administrative Counties. These always exclude data for any County Boroughs associated with the county, whereas we usually include them. To avoid confusion, only the 33 counties not containing County Boroughs have been assigned g_unit values. Note that summing 'TOTAL OCCUPIED AND UNOCCUPIED.' for all rows where lg_type = 'AC' or lg_type = 'CB' produces the same data as the reported national total.
    • RDA (61 areas): Aggregate of all Rural Districts within county. The county of London contained no sich districts.
    • CB (75 areas): County Boroughs.
    • MB (14 areas): Municipal Boroughs.
    • UD (12 areas): Urban Districts.
    • MetB (28 areas): Metropolitan Boroughs, within London.
    • LCC (1 area): London County Corporate, i.e. the City of London.

Checking:

  1. It is clear that a substantial amount of checking and correcting was done by CDDA but details are unknown. However, the data were completely re-rechecked by the GBH GIS project in April 2016, including inspection of original reports in the London School of Economics library, and the data are now believed to be error-free with the exception of the discrepancies within single rows noted below.
  2. Individual rows were checked to ensure that the sum of the male age groups matched the overall reported total for males. After corrections, including checking the original reports in the LSE library, four rows fail this check:
    • The reported total for "Dealers" within Order XIX. DRESS for the county of Devon is 708, but the computed sum is 707.
    • The reported total for "Others" within Order XXII. OTHER, GENERAL, AND UNDEFINED WORKERS AND DEALERS for Stepney MetB, London, is 717, but the computed sum is 707.
    • The reported totals for "3. Hair and Feathers" and "4. Dealers in Skins, Leather, Hair, and Feathers" within Order XVI. SKINS, LEATHER, HAIR, AND FEATHERS for Huddersfield CB, West Riding, were 68 and 18 respectively, but the computed sums were zero and 86, i.e. the age categories for "Hair and Feathers" were empty while the age categories for "Dealers in Skins", etc summed to 68+18.
  3. The individual rows were similarly checked to ensure that the sums of the female marital status categories and age groups matched the overall reported total. No discrepancies remain in the marital status categories. Six rows fail the check on the female age groups:
    • The reported total for "Others aged 10 years and upwards" within Order XXIII. WITHOUT SPECIFIED OCCUPATIONS OR UNOCCUPIED for Bootle CB, Lancashire, is 19,748, but the computed sum is 18,748.
    • The reported total for "5. Literary, Scientific, and Political" within Order III. PROFESSIONAL OCCUPATIONS AND THEIR SUBORDINATE SERVICES for Stepney MetB, London, is 11, but the computed sum is 10.
    • The reported total for "4. Teaching" within Order III. PROFESSIONAL OCCUPATIONS AND THEIR SUBORDINATE SERVICES for Tottenham UD, Middlesex, is 497 but the computed sum is 499.
    • The reported total for "Hospital, Institn., & Benevolent Socy. Service" within Order IV. DOMESTIC OFFICES OR SERVICES for Tottenham UD, Middlesex, is 165 but the computed sum is 164.
    • The reported totals for "Charwomen" and "Laundry Wkrs.; Washers, Ironers, Manglers, etc." within Order IV. DOMESTIC OFFICES OR SERVICES for the Soke of Peterborough (county totals) are 120 and 154 respectively, but the computed sums are 127 and 147, i.e. balancing discrepancies of 7.
  4. The columns giving overall total numbers of males and of females in each of the individual occupation categories with occup_level of 1-3, i.e excluding the italicised detailed categories, have been summed for each reporting area, and compared with the reported "TOTAL OCCUPIED AND UNOCCUPIED.". After some correction work, all rows pass this check.
  5. The columns giving overall total numbers of males and of females in "Retired or Unoccupied (Order XXIII.)" and "Engaged in Occupations (Orders I.-XXII.)" have similarly been checked against "TOTAL OCCUPIED AND UNOCCUPIED.". All reporting areas now pass this check.

Indices:

IndexTypeColumn(s) indexed
occ_1911_lg_t_cnty_unit_idx Unique admc_unit, lg_dist, lg_type, rec_num

Columns within table:

ColumnTypeContents
adm_cnty Text string (max.len.=40). Name of the Administrative County to which the data relate.
lg_dist Text string (max.len.=40). Name of the local government district to which the data relate. This is specified as [TOTAL] for county totals and [AGGREGATE OF RURAL DISTRICTS] for those sub-totals.
lg_type Text string (max.len.=8). Type of local government district. See note above.
admc_unit Integer number. ID number for Administrative County containing the unit, as defined in the AUO. Set for all reporting areas except the England and Wales totals.
g_unit Integer number. ID number for the reporting area, as defined in the AUO. Set for the England and Wales totals, for counties NOT containing County Boroughs, and for all urban units.
row_number Integer number. Number placing rows in correct order within each reporting unit, and linking to the 1911 Occupation Codebook.
occup_level Integer number. Number between 0 and 5:
  1. Used only for the overall "TOTAL OCCUPIED AND UNOCCUPIED." row.
  2. Used for "Retired or Unoccupied (Order XXIII.)" and "Engaged in Occupations (Orders I.-XXII.)" at the start of the table, and for the totals for each Order. However, note that all of the latter have been deleted except for "VIII. FISHING." as no actual data were given for them.
  3. Used for the numbered sub-Orders.
  4. Used for other non-numbered categories which were always reported, and which contribute to the overall total occupied.
  5. Used for more detailed categories which are printed in italics and appear only for some areas. These do not contribute to the overall total occupied, so need to be excluded in simple calculations using these data.
order_number Integer number. Number of the occupation Order the current category is in.
suborder_number Integer number. Number of the current sub-Order. NB only some Orders are so divided, and this value is otherwise null. As listed below, some of these labels cover multiple numbered sub-Orders, in which case the first number is used.
occupation Text string (max.len.=94). Label for the current occupational category, whatever its level.
m_10_12 Integer number. Number of males aged 10 to 12.
m_13 Integer number. Number of males aged 13.
m_14 Integer number. Number of males aged 14.
m_15 Integer number. Number of males aged 15.
m_16 Integer number. Number of males aged 16.
m_17 Integer number. Number of males aged 17.
m_18 Integer number. Number of males aged 18.
m_19 Integer number. Number of males aged 19.
m_20_24 Integer number. Number of males aged 20 to 24.
m_25_34 Integer number. Number of males aged 25 to 34.
m_35_44 Integer number. Number of males aged 35 to 44.
m_45_54 Integer number. Number of males aged 45 to 54.
m_55_64 Integer number. Number of males aged 55 to 64.
m_65_up Integer number. Number of males aged 65 and upwards.
m_tot Integer number. Total Males.
f_tot Integer number. Total Females.
f_unm Integer number. Unmarried Females.
f_mar Integer number. Married Females.
f_wid Integer number. Widowed Females.
f_10_12 Integer number. Number of females aged 10 to 12.
f_13 Integer number. Number of females aged 13.
f_14 Integer number. Number of females aged 14.
f_15 Integer number. Number of females aged 15.
f_16 Integer number. Number of females aged 16.
f_17 Integer number. Number of females aged 17.
f_18 Integer number. Number of females aged 18.
f_19 Integer number. Number of females aged 19.
f_20_24 Integer number. Number of females aged 20 to 24.
f_25_34 Integer number. Number of females aged 25 to 34.
f_35_44 Integer number. Number of females aged 35 to 44.
f_45_54 Integer number. Number of females aged 45 to 54.
f_55_64 Integer number. Number of females aged 55 to 64.
f_65_up Integer number. Number of females aged 65 and upwards.
rec_num Integer number. Sequence number keeping rows in order they were loaded in.

Additional Notes:

The full system of Orders and sub-Orders used in the table is as follows:
  1. GENERAL OR LOCAL GOVT. OF THE COUNTRY
    • 1. National Government
    • 2. Local Government
  2. DEFENCE OF THE COUNTRY
    • 1. Army (at Home)
    • 2. Navy and Marines (Ashore and in Port)
  3. PROFESSIONAL OCCUPATIONS AND THEIR SUBORDINATE SERVICES
    • 1. Clerical
    • 2. Legal
    • 3. Medical
    • 4. Teaching
    • 5. Literary, Scientific, and Political
    • 6. Engineers and Surveyors
    • 7 and 8. Art, Music, Drama, etc.
  4. DOMESTIC OFFICES OR SERVICES
    • 1. Domestic Indoor Service
    • 2. Domestic Outdoor Service
    • 3. Other Service
  5. COMMERCIAL OCCUPATION
    • 1. Merchants, Agents, and Accountants
    • 2. Commercial or Business Clerks
    • 3 and 4. Dealers in Money; Insurance
  6. CONVEYANCE OF MEN, GOODS, AND MESSAGES
    • 1. On Railways
    • 2. On Roads
    • 3. On Seas, Rivers, and Canals
    • 4. In Docks, Harbours, etc.
    • 5. In Storage, Porterage, and Messages
  7. AGRICULTURE (On Farms, Woods, and Gardens)
  8. FISHING
  9. IN AND ABOUT, AND WORKING AND DEALING IN THE PRODUCTS OF, MINES AND QUARRIES
    • 1. Workers
    • 2. Dealers
  10. METALS, MACHINES, IMPLEMENTS, AND CONVEYANCES
    • 1 and 2. Iron, Steel, etc. Manufacture
    • 3. General Engineering, and Machine Making
    • 4. Electrical Apparatus
    • 5 - 8. Tools; Dies, etc.; Arms; Misc. Metal Trades
    • 9. Ships and Boats
    • 10. Vehicles
    • 11. Dealers
  11. PRECIOUS METALS, JEWELS, WATCHES, INSTRUMENTS, AND GAMES
  12. BUILDING, AND WORKS OF CONSTRUCTION
    • 1. House Building, etc.
    • 2. Other Works of Construction, and Roads
  13. WOOD, FURNITURE, FITTINGS, DECORATIONS
  14. BRICK, CEMENT, POTTERY, AND GLASS
  15. CHEMICALS, OIL, GREASE, SOAP, RESIN, ETC
    • 1 and 3. Colouring Matter; Drugs, Chemicals, etc.
    • 2. Explosives and Matches
    • 4. Oil, Grease, Soap, Resin, etc.
  16. SKINS, LEATHER, HAIR, AND FEATHERS
    • 1. Skins and Leather
    • 2. Saddlery and Harness
    • 3. Hair and Feathers
    • 4. Dealers in Skins, Leather, Hair, and Feathers
  17. PAPER, PRINTS, BOOKS, AND STATIONERY
  18. TEXTILE FABRICS
    • 1 - 5. Textile Manufactures
    • 6. Bleaching, Printing, Dyeing, etc.
    • 7. Dealers (Drapers and others)
  19. DRESS
  20. FOOD, TOBACCO, DRINK, AND LODGING
    • 1. Food
    • 2. Tobacco.--Tobacco Manufacture
    • 3. Makers of Spirituous Drinks
    • 4. Board, Lodging, & Dealing in Spirituous Drinks
  21. GAS, WATER, AND ELECTRICITY SUPPLY, AND SANITARY SERVICE
    • 1. Gas, Water, Electricity
    • 2. Sanitary Service
  22. OTHER, GENERAL, AND UNDEFINED WORKERS AND DEALERS
  23. WITHOUT SPECIFIED OCCUPATIONS OR UNOCCUPIED