A history of Peel in Numbers

I have been listening to the excellent BBC radio4 programme  ‘A History of Britain in Numbers’( http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03k5dvd ) presented by Andrew Dilnot chair of the UK Statistics Authority. Despite not having access to the same level of budget or skilled research assistants I thought it would be interesting to apply the same sort of analysis to Peel.

Comparing 30 years in the 19th century with now the overall population of Peel has not changed that much:

1861   2,848 (Slaters Directory 1863)

1881   3,500 (Browns Directory 1881)

1891   4,500  (Porters Directory 1891)

 

1986   3,660 (www.citypopulation.de)

2001   3,785  (www.citypopulation.de)

2011   5,093

But looking at the 1861 census in more detail for Peel town (districts 1b and 2b, not the whole of German parish) the detail gives a very different picture to today.

 

Households

Houses

Adults

Children

Domestic servants

Mariner  / Sailor

Fisherman

Not born in Peel / German

637

437

1315

1508

78

152

72

914

 

Key figures

Peel Popn

Children     (<14 yrs for 2011)

Avg Household size

% Popn Manx  (from Manx popn for 2011)

% Popn fisherman / mariner

1861       2823

53%

4.4

90%

8%

2011       5092

17%

2.3

48%

<1%   *

*  % Manx popn in agriculture, forestry, fishery = 1%

Besides the obvious material and technological advances a time traveller from Victorian Peel to the present day might well ask:

-       You mean only two of you living in this house?

-       With a toilet inside?

-       Where are all the children?

-       What happened to your domestic servant?

-       Where do people work if they’re not at sea/fishing?

There are a few other interesting points from this search through the 1861 census. A number of households have ‘mariners wife’ recorded as head of household because the husband is absent so the number of mariners may be underestimated, although some mariners  recorded may be retired. In 1861 there were 13 publicans / hotel keepers and I’m not sure how that compares with today. In 1861 33% population was not born in Peel or German Parish but the number not born on the Isle of Man would be less than 10%. Finally there was one straw bonnet maker recorded and I’m pretty sure there is no longer one in Peel – shame.

 

Source 2011 data http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/treasury/economic/census/2011censussummaryresultsreport.pdf

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