From: acornish@imm.cnrs.fr   
      
   On 2021-02-17 16:00:43 +0000, Peter Johnson said:   
      
   > On Tue, 16 Feb 2021 18:04:33 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"   
   >  wrote:   
   >   
   >   
   >> The instructions to enumerators (I happen to have an example from the   
   >> first written page of a census book, so I have a copy of the facing page   
   >> with the instructions on; I'm sure plenty of others do too) includes the   
   >> words "with the pencil provided". It's always amused me - makes me think   
   >> things can't have been very good in 1841 (and/or, census enumerators   
   >> weren't very well paid) if a pencil had to be provided. From the few   
   >> cases I have where I _do_ have a colour image (presumably the microfilm   
   >> was _too_ badly degraded, or lost, or the book was never filmed), they   
   >> mostly _are_ in pencil (which makes it amazing they've survived as well   
   >> as they have).   
   >>   
   >   
   > In 1841 not everyone would have owned a pencil* and those enumerators   
   > who did might not have wanted to use their own equipment on, in this   
   > case, the government's business. The government would have wanted to   
   > ensure that all returns were completed to the same standard, too.   
   >   
   > * I don't know what a pencil cost in 1841 but I bet it was much more   
   > than they cost today.   
      
   Not 1841, but in 1872 you could buy a dozen for 60c in Kansas:   
      
   http://www.kristinholt.com/archives/3111   
      
      
   --   
   Athel -- British, living in France for 34 years   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)