R. LAWTON. Introduction

British censuses in general have always been deficient in direct questions on social and cultural characteristics of the population "(including ethnic background), as witness recent problems of obtaining accurate census information on overseas immigrants into Britain, particularly those from the new Commonwealth countries. Apart from very limited information on education and the 1851 Education and Religious Censuses, the only such information on cultural traits is that on nationality (primarily associated with the question on birthplace) and on Gaelic and Welsh speakers in Scotland and Wales only (from 1881 and 1891 respectively).