British statisticians in the early 1900s extensively documented various aspects of British life, including the state of cities, trades, and immigration. Francis Galton's invention aimed to rank female attractiveness quickly, highlighting an era of both remarkable statistical innovation and dark eugenic beliefs. The history of British statistics is intertwined with the country's efforts to collect vital data for governance. The British census, established in 1841, has played a significant role in documenting the nation's history. Debates around its potential discontinuation focus on the use of administrative data as an alternative, but the census has been a vital source of information for 180 years despite its imperfections.