As the distinctive purple and white envelopes of this year’s census start dropping on people’s doormats, LINDA PIPER discovers why historians find the census such a mine of information.

THE Office of National Statistics has been holding a census in England and Wales every 10 years since 1801.

Although at first glance, the information may not seen very interesting, it can reveal a wealth of detail about people’s lives in just that brief snapshot of the census form.

And because it is held every 10 years, historians can build up a picture of people’s lives and how they changed over time.

The census can also chart the development and changes in a street or community with the ebb and flow of residents and their comparative wealth or poverty.

Bexley’s local studies and archive centre has taken one census snapshot to show how the ordinary and the extraordinary can live their lives side by side, yet never touching.

One of Bexley’s most famous residents, William Morris, was living in Bexleyheath at the time of the 1861 census.

Morris, a designer, poet, socialist and founder of the Arts and Crafts Movement, commissioned the building of the Red House in Red House Lane, Bexleyheath, from architect and friend Philip Webb.

Designed as a house for Morris and his new bride and pre-Raphaelite model Jane Burden, the couple lived there from 1860 until 1865.

The census of 1861 shows Morris who was then 27, and his wife 21, were living in the house with their three-month old daughter Jane, known as Jenny.

Also in the house on census day was a student named Algernon Swinburne, whom Morris had met at Oxford, and who became a well-known poet, playwright and novelist and was a friend of a number of the pre-Raphaelite group.

There were also four servants in the house, a groom, cook, housemaid and nurse.

It must have been a quiet day in the Morris household as Red House often entertained friends, artists, poets and critics, such as Edward Burne-Jones, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Ford Maddox-Brown and Charles Faulkner.

In fact their neighbours could not have missed the brightly painted waggonette which picked up a host of visitors each week from Bexleyheath railway station, many of whom helped to decorate Red House.

And who were their neighbours?

Not wealthy people of the same social standing as you might imagine.

In fact the homes nearest Red House were cottages known as Providence Row, previously Hogs Hole Cottages.

These were occupied largely by agricultural labourers,as well as a thatcher, market gardener and a builder, who led ordinary lives of hard work and hardship, all far removed from Morris’s wealthy and artistic lifestyle.

This year’s census may yield up similar fascinating glimpses of life in the 21st century for future historians.

It is compulsory to fill in the census form, but it can also be done online at census.gov.uk

Bexley archivist Claire Sexton will be revealing other insights gleaned from previous censuses at a free talk at Erith library in Erith High Street on March 24 from 2pm to 3pm.

To book a place call 020 8836 7369.

Help is available to fill in the census form

WITH council and government budgets under more strain than ever before, it is important everyone fills in their census form says Bexley Council leader Councillor Teresa O’Neill.

The information from this month’s census will give vital information to help plan services for the future.

The details of the information remains confidential for 100 years and will not be used against people.

Only the overall data is made available.

This census is also the most accessible.

For the first time, people can complete it online and the Office of National Statistics, which compiles the census, has been working with a range of disability organisations, to make sure everyone can fill it in.

There is also help available online for disabled to people to enable them to complete their form.

These include large print questionnaires and information leaflets, braille guidance, British Sign Language video clips and DVD, easy read guidance and an audio CD, cassette tapes and audio clips.

Go to census.gov.uk/2011accessibility There is also a helpline, charged at the local rate, available at 0300 0201 101.