After 1820 and up until 1835, the population census was conducted every 3 years. During this time, the process involved the completion of returns, which were handed in at the Records Office. This method of counting the population proved not satisfactory to the Keeper of Records because many free persons did not participate. Population counts for the five censuses conducted during this time period can be seen in Table 4.
It is interesting to note that, while slavery was abolished in 1834, the persons enumerated in 1835 were still classified as Freemen and Slaves. This classification of ‘Slaves’ was corrected in 1901 and replaced with ‘Apprenticed Labourers’.
Table 4
Population of free persons, slaves and troops
Census 1923-1835
| Free persons | Slaves | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Male | Female | Total | Male | Female | Total | Troops | Male | Female | Total |
| 1823 | 841 | 798 | 1,639 | 1,654 | 814 | 2,468 | 2,495 | 1,612 | 4,107 | |
| 1826 | 1,896 | 891 | 2,787 | 1,606 | 804 | 2,410 | 456 | 3,958 | 1,695 | 5,653 |
| 1829 | 937 | 919 | 1,856 | 1,347 | 680 | 2,027 | 352 | 2,636 | 1,599 | 4,235 |
| 1832 | 1,467 | 1,036 | 2,503 | 1,132 | 651 | 1,783 | 251 | 2,850 | 1,687 | 4,537 |
| 1835 | 654 | 705 | 1,359 | 768 | 416 | 1,184 | 1,422 | 1,121 | 2,543 | |
