Access Database Word-files and Census

Short-cuts when typing census information or lists carrying repetitious information, can save time. Similarly plenty of -useless? - data can be extracted from Access files

Local villages, some with tongue-twisting names that can cause mistyping, and other input can be short-cutted.

[Cgr] Congresbury for example can be used to transform itself into a laboriously long name, using the AutoCorrect options in tools,

[w-i-g] Walton-in-Gordano [ws-i-g] Weston-in-Gordano etc.

[z] can become M [x] S  to speed up key strokes and finger movement when designating if the individual is either married or single.

[stm] changes into Som. [clv] to Clevedon using combinations of letters that do not occur in the normal sequence. All without the brackets placed here to stop alterations in place names etc.

In the same way when using Access by blacking a name or occupation with the mouse, then right-clicking it shows a series of choices. Opting for filter by selection then lists all of the folk working as farm Labourers there in 1871. A total of 30; in using this system it is easy to identify also how many were born locally by moving the mouse to Location,blacking the column with the mouse then right clicking and select Sort ascending.

We then find the listing has been sorted into alphabetic order of places; and that Kenn village is outnumbered by over double the numbers from elsewhere.

Useless information and waste of time? Quite possibly so; but it can still bring up statistics of interest to local historians.

A comparison search for example of both Clapton-in-Gordano and Tickenham villages for the same period shows that whilst there were miners living in Tickenham who worked in the Nailsea coalfields Clapton-in-Gordano had not only miners but engine drivers and firemen plus stokers showing that at that time the coal-field there was still producing in quantity. It will be interesting to see what Nailsea village shows when that census is in turn transcribed.