10 March 1801: Britain conducts its first census

Terrified by the prospect of not being able to feed its rapidly growing population, Britain conducted its first census on this day in 1801.

At the turn of the 19th century, the government had only a vague idea of how many people were living in Britain. That was a problem. With a French invasion on the cards, the government needed to know how many conscripts it could call on. But there was another enemy to guard against one that was far more insidious and closer to home.

The industrial revolution had brought about a population explosion. And while population growth was hailed as a good thing both in terms of economic and imperial expansion, it also posed a threat to public order something Britain's ruling class was desperate to avoid, given the recent revolution across the Channel.

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Chris Carter
Wealth Editor, MoneyWeek

Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.

Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.

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