Census facts:
A tale of two cities - Population
In 1861 Edinburgh has some of the most densely populated places in the country. The Tron and Canongate areas record densities of 353 and 238 per acre. Yet a few miles away Morningside with just 8 people per acre, has one of the lowest density rates.
* Scotland's Census only records the population of villages, towns and cities.
The dreaded cough - Health
Tuberculosis is a major health hazard in this period – killing 361 people in 100,000. It wouldn’t be until the 1940s – and the discovery of penicillin by Scotsman Alexander Fleming – that TB would be brought under control.
* Scotland’s Census doesn’t record cause of death.
A bit of a squeeze - Culture
Scotland’s industrialisation leads to overcrowding on a massive scale. By 1861, 64 per cent of the entire Scottish population lives in houses with just one or two rooms. On average five Scots lived in a single room.
* From the Scotland's 1861 Census
Contemporary historical facts:
26 January 1861 – The one o’clock gun is fired from Edinburgh Castle for the first time.
1861-1865 – The American Civil War between the Union States and the Confederate States leads to 620,000 American deaths – more than in any conflict from the Revolution to Vietnam. After Union victory, slavery is abolished.
1868 – The Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society was founded
1869 – Edinburgh University becomes the first in Britain to allow women to study medicine, thought not graduate. (However, in 1812, one women managed to slip through – masquerading as Dr James Barry.)
17 October 1860 – The world’s first professional golf tournament, The Open Championship, is played at Prestwick, Scotland.