The first UK census was taken in 1801 and has been repeated every 10 years since, excepting for 1941. The first four (1801 to 1831) were basically head counts only and, whilst forming useful information about the placement and occupations of people, are of little use to genealogists. The 1841 census was the first to record names nationally.

The census has always been recorded at the point of midnight Sunday/Monday. There is a 100 year rule in the UK on specific census information disclosure so, for instance, the 1911 Census information will not be available until January 2nd 2112.

1841*	6/7th June	Available from some Family History Societies
1851	30/31st March	Subscription on Genealogy.com
1861	7/8th April	Available from some Family History Societies
1871	2/3rd April	Available from some Family History Societies Also by subscription on Ancestry.com
1881	3/4th April	Free access on Familysearch.org
1891	5/6th April	Subscription on Ancestry.com
1901	31st March/1st April	PRO website. Free search, pay-per-record view. Also by subscription on Ancestry.com
1911	2/3rd April
1921	19/20th June
1931	26/27th April (Destroyed in WW2).
1941	No census taken (Due to WW2).

* The Whitstable returns are missing at the PRO.

The average population split is male/female 48.5%/51.5% although in times of war as expected the shift to female is greater. It is difficult on the earlier dates to deduce if Seasalter is included in the Whitstable figure. As with all sea trading ports the population figures, taken from the census, are distorted by the exclusion of men away at sea.

Once we obtain all of the information for the local population at these points we will graph it against the national population which should show the varience in the growth, decline and then new growth of the town against the national average.