County of Cardigan
The 1831 hierarchy of the county of Cardigan (the severn major divisions of the county), the hundreds (68 subdivisions into parishes), the parishes (42 subdivisions into townships), the townships into which the parishes were divided, 3 chapelry, 3 parish chapeleries and 3 hamlets.
County of Cardigan was split into the six hundreds and one borough of:
- Geneur-Glynn – Hundred
- Ilar (Lower Division) – Hundred
- Ilar (Upper Division) – Hundred
- Moyddyn – Hundred
- Penarth – Hundred
- Troedyraur – Hundred
- Cardigan – Borough
The late 18th century saw increasing discussion about the question of population and its effects on society.
John Rickman suggested the introduction of a population census which would provide the Government with information on societal patterns, and which would also be a useful aid to formulate military recruitment in the continuing war with France.
Rickman is credited with drafting the first bill which became the 1800 Census Act, the full title of which was “An Act for taking an Account of the Population of Great Britain, and of the Increase or Diminution thereof“, which became law in December 1800, and the first United Kingdom census was conducted the following year. Rickman was instrumental in carrying out the first four censuses of Great Britain, including not only a population count, but also the collection and analysis of parish register returns.
See medieval boundaries: Cardiganshire | Cantrefs | Commotes | Gwestfâu | Sharelands See 1800 Census Act and later hundreds, parishes and townships: County of Cardigan | Hundred | Parish | Township |