Parish of Deerness in 1841

The person appointed by the Sheriff to divide the Parish was William Tulloch the schoolmaster of the Society School (Scottish Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge) near Blows in Enumeration District 2. Thomas Waugh signed as the Minister of the Parish and lived in The Manse in the south of the Parish in Enumeration District 3.
No persons were listed as sleeping outside or in boats, barns etc.

Enumeration District 1 containing 56 houses with Enumerator William Tulloch is described as:
So much of the parish of Deerness as lies between the point of Hally and Kerbusterness on the western boundary and between Burraquryhall and the Church on the eastern boundary of the parish: forming a straight line from Kirbusterness to the Church
William Tulloch as Person appointed to divide the Parish recorded the following remarks:
In the column headed "Place" are inserted the names of the houses. The abbreviations used therein are L, N and S. For L read Little, for N North and for S South. All the persons in this District were present. Two Fishermen from the I of Flota slept in the house of Landside.

Enumeration District 2 containing 60 houses with Enumerator John Cromarty is described as:
So much of the parish of Deerness lying south of the above District No 1 between Kerbusterness and Braebuster on the western boundary and between the Church and Rouaby on the eastern boundary of the parish forming a straight line from Braebuster to the Church
William Tulloch as Person appointed to divide the Parish recorded the following remarks:
In the column headed "Place" are inserted the names of the houses. The abbreviations used therein are L, N, S and U. For L read Little, excepting L in page 4 for which read Lower. For U read Upper, for N North and for S South. In the column headed "Occupation" will be found Hemp S for Hemp Spinner, all persons so employed spin twine of which fishing nets are made. All the persons in this District were present excepting one man who had left the country for sea about two months ago. One female not residing in the parish.

Enumeration District 3 containing 47 houses with Enumerator John Foulis is described as:
The rest of the parish of Deerness lying south of the above District No 2 between Braebuster and Sandyaitkin on the western boundary and between Rouaby and Greenigoe on the eastern boundary of the parish
William Tulloch as Person appointed to divide the Parish recorded the following remarks:
In the column headed Place are inserted the names of the houses. The abbreviations used therein N & S read N North and South. All the persons in this District were present with the exception of three that had left the country for sea about three months ago.

Enumeration District 4 containing 1 house with Enumerator Robert Bichan is described as:
The island of Copinshay lying south by east of the point of Greenigoe
William Tulloch as Person appointed to divide the Parish recorded the following remarks:
There are three Fishermen inserted in this schedule who abode in the house in the Island of Copinshay on the night of 6th June, two were from the Island of Burra and the other one from the parish of St Andrews: they are consequently deducted from the amount of the population of the parish.

The Minister added the following remarks:
The whole number in the schedules is 777 deducting from that number 5 males and 1 female from other places who were in the parish of Deerness on the 6th of June makes the population of the parish 771. In 1831 the population was 667 the increase since that being 103 and which increase may be accounted for from the young men previous to 1831 leaving home being either employed in the whale fishing at Davis Straits or in merchant vessels but of late years all the young men remain at home during the year being employed in the herring fishing trade. From the same cause there is a lamentable degeneracy of morals and increase of illegitimate children.

Remarks of Sheriff
The total population of the parish of Deerness exclusive of the Island of Copinshay which is annexed to it quod sacra is

in 1841764
In 1831 it was 661
Increase103

The total population of the whole parish including the Island of Copinshay is 777, there is only family on the Island of Copinshay, the increase in it since the Census of 1831 is 3.
Chas Shirreff