Before the setting up of Civil Registration in 1837 census returns were just a headcount, and no information on individuals was recorded. After 1837 census information was collected in units of Civil Parishes. The area of the current Whitby Town Council and the previous Whitby Urban District was comprised of three Civil Parishes before they were merged into one in 1925. Consequently, Census returns for Whitby are enumerated in three or four seperate parish returns.

1837	1834: Whitby Urban Sanitary District formed from Ruswarp Township, Whitby Township and the part of Hawsker-cum-Stainsacre Parish around Abbey Plain and Spital Bridge as part of Whitby Poor Law Union. Some time between 1855 and 1885 the land the Whitby Workhouse was built on at Green Land was transfered to Whitby Township as the Poor Law required the grounds of Workhouses to be part of the Parish they served. Census1841 Census1851 Census1861: Whitby, Ruswarp, Hawsker, Aislaby: about 95% completed Census1871: A sample of Whitby and Ruswarp: about 600 entries. Census1881: Whitby, Ruswarp, Hawsker: about 95% completed Census1891: Whitby, Ruswarp, Hawsker: about 99% completed
1894	1st April 1894: Whitby Urban District formed from Whitby Urban Sanitary District. The annexed portion of Hawsker-cum-Stainsacre comprising the Abbey Plain, Green Lane, Spital Bridge, Larpool and Helredale was formed into Helredale Civil Parish as Urban Districts had to be formed from a whole number of component parishes. I don't know why the annexed part wasn't just merged into Whitby CP. Census1901: Whitby, Ruswarp, Helredale: about 90% completed Census1911: Whitby, Ruswarp, Helredale, Hawsker: about 99% completed Census1921
1925	1st April 1925: The three Civil Parishes forming Whitby Urban District were merged into a single Civil Parish. Census1931: The 1931 Census returns were destroyed by fire during WW2.
1932	1st April 1932: Whitby Urban District annex another bit of Hawsker-cum-Stainsare up to the current boundary at the Business Park, and added a few acres from Aislaby at Briggswath to take in the new A169 Sleights Bank road. Census1941: There was no census taken in 1941 as the war was on, but a residents survey was taken in 1939: about 50% completed. Census1951: Whitby electoral register transcript: completed. Census1961 Census1971: Whitby electoral register transcript: about 25% completed.
1974	1st April 1974: Local Government regorganisation downgrades Whitby Urban District to a Parish Council with the name of Whitby Town Council, with all non-minor functions transfered to the new Scarborough Borough Council. Census1981
1985	1st April 1985: Briggswath at the junction of Sleights Bank and The Carrs transfered to Eskdaleside CP (Sleights) and the land west of Sleights Bank transfered back to Aislaby. (ref broken link) Census1991 Census2001 Census2011 Census2021