British Census
A census has been taken every 10 years since 1801, excluding 1941. However, only those from 1841 onwards are of real value to the family historian. Most of the early returns (1801-1831) have not survived.
From 1841 the census has been a head count of everyone in the country on a given day. The object was not to obtain detailed information about individuals, but to provide information about the population as a whole. In each census an enumerator delivered a form to each household for them to complete. The heads of household were instructed to give details of everyone who slept in that dwelling on census night, which was always a Sunday. The forms, (schedules), were then collected, and between 1841 to 1901, copied into enumeration books and most schedules were destroyed. It is the enumeration books that can be seen on line today.
Censuses remain closed to the public for 100 years after the date they were conducted. The 1931 Census was destroyed by fire in 1942, so after the release of the 1921 census in January 2022, there will not be another census release until 2052.
Other than in 1841 (6 June) census day between 1851 – 1911 was late March / early April. The 1939 Register is similar but is not the same as a census; see below for further details
The censuses covered:
What information is on the census?
1841.
1851 and 1861
In 1861 in Scotland additional information:
1871 and 1881
As 1851 & 1861, except for:
The last column now reads:
If Disabled the nature of the Disability
1891
As 1871 & 1881 with the following extra details:
1901
As 1891, with occupation details changed to:
Additionally in Ireland:
1911
For the first time house schedules were kept and not copied into enumeration books. It is the schedules that are available to view; complete with your ancestor’s handwriting. There are also enumerator summary books listing all addresses including unoccupied buildings and the names of the heads of household. The summary books are where descriptions can be found of each building such as ‘house and shop’, ‘private house’, ‘hotel’ etc.
As 1901 with extra questions:
1921
This census will not be released until January 2022, but will be most informative for family historians. New information that is expected to be revealed:
1939 Register
This was taken on 29 September and was used to produce identity cards and, once rationing was introduced in January 1940, to issue ration books. It was also used to administer conscription and the direction of labour, and to monitor and control the movement of the population caused by military mobilisation and mass evacuation. It was designed to capture the details of every member of the civilian population on a specific date; military personnel were not recorded
These records include the civilian populations of England and Wales, members of the armed forces on leave, civilians on military bases. The available records do not include the civilian populations of Scotland, and Northern Ireland where it is suggested that the relevant national record offices be approached. Nor do they include the civilian populations of the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
What information is on the 1939 Register?
Things to note:
A census has been taken every 10 years since 1801, excluding 1941. However, only those from 1841 onwards are of real value to the family historian. Most of the early returns (1801-1831) have not survived.
From 1841 the census has been a head count of everyone in the country on a given day. The object was not to obtain detailed information about individuals, but to provide information about the population as a whole. In each census an enumerator delivered a form to each household for them to complete. The heads of household were instructed to give details of everyone who slept in that dwelling on census night, which was always a Sunday. The forms, (schedules), were then collected, and between 1841 to 1901, copied into enumeration books and most schedules were destroyed. It is the enumeration books that can be seen on line today.
Censuses remain closed to the public for 100 years after the date they were conducted. The 1931 Census was destroyed by fire in 1942, so after the release of the 1921 census in January 2022, there will not be another census release until 2052.
Other than in 1841 (6 June) census day between 1851 – 1911 was late March / early April. The 1939 Register is similar but is not the same as a census; see below for further details
The censuses covered:
- England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland*
- the Channel Islands
- the Isle of Man
- vessels in ports and inland waterways from 1861 onwards
What information is on the census?
1841.
- First name and surname
- Age (rounded down to the nearest five years for those aged 15 or over)
- Sex
- Occupation
- Whether born in the county where they were enumerated (Y or N)
- In England & Wales you were treated as Foreign if you born anywhere else including Scotland or Ireland, and the same applied for their returns, although they treated Wales as part of England
1851 and 1861
- First name, middle names (often just initials) and surname
- Relationship to the head of the household
- Marital status
- Age (at last birthday)
- Sex
- Rank, profession or occupation
- Where born - county & parish if born in England or Wales; country only if born outside England & Wales and with mirror provisions for other parts of the U.K.
- Whether blind, or deaf and dumb
In 1861 in Scotland additional information:
- Number of rooms with 1 or more windows
1871 and 1881
As 1851 & 1861, except for:
The last column now reads:
If Disabled the nature of the Disability
1891
As 1871 & 1881 with the following extra details:
- Whether Employer, Employed or Neither Employer nor Employed
- Whether language spoken is Welsh, English or both
- Whether Gaelic or Gaelic and English speaker
1901
As 1891, with occupation details changed to:
- ‘Employer, Worker or Own Account’
- A new column ‘if working from home’
- Language spoken added for Isle of Man residents
Additionally in Ireland:
- Religious denomination
- Literacy level
- Ability to speak or write Irish
- There was a separate form filled out by the enumerator which recorded for women: the number of years the marriage has lasted, the number of children born in the marriage and the number surviving.
1911
For the first time house schedules were kept and not copied into enumeration books. It is the schedules that are available to view; complete with your ancestor’s handwriting. There are also enumerator summary books listing all addresses including unoccupied buildings and the names of the heads of household. The summary books are where descriptions can be found of each building such as ‘house and shop’, ‘private house’, ‘hotel’ etc.
As 1901 with extra questions:
- For married women only, number of years of present marriage, number of children born of that marriage, number still living and number dead.
- Occupation & industry in which person was employed. If employed by any public body, the name of that body.
- Parish & county of birth for anyone born in the UK (which included all of Ireland). If born elsewhere in the British Empire, the colony or dependency, and the state or province.
- For anyone born outside of England and Wales, whether they were resident or visitor in the country.
- Nationality of anyone born overseas whether British by parentage, British by naturalisation (including year of naturalisation), or, if a foreign national, or which country.
- In the Infirmity column, the age at which the person became afflicted.
1921
This census will not be released until January 2022, but will be most informative for family historians. New information that is expected to be revealed:
- Place of employment
- Industry in which employed
- Materials worked with
- Name of employer
- Marital status for all those over 15 & for the first time divorce will feature as a category
- For those under 15 whether or not parents are living
1939 Register
This was taken on 29 September and was used to produce identity cards and, once rationing was introduced in January 1940, to issue ration books. It was also used to administer conscription and the direction of labour, and to monitor and control the movement of the population caused by military mobilisation and mass evacuation. It was designed to capture the details of every member of the civilian population on a specific date; military personnel were not recorded
These records include the civilian populations of England and Wales, members of the armed forces on leave, civilians on military bases. The available records do not include the civilian populations of Scotland, and Northern Ireland where it is suggested that the relevant national record offices be approached. Nor do they include the civilian populations of the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
What information is on the 1939 Register?
Things to note:
- The Register was continually updated while National Registration was in force, when it was a legal requirement to notify the registration authorities of any change of name or address. This ended in 1952, but since 1948 the Register had also been used by the National Health Service, who continued updating the records until 1991, when paper-based record keeping was discontinued.
- The record of anyone born less than 100 years ago is closed unless they are known to have died
- Names may not appear as you expect them.
- The Register was subsequently in constant use for more than 50 years so some entries will have become hard to read through frequent handling
- You may not find someone find someone living with family because even by that time call up and evacuation had started.
Printable Files
| handout_census.pdf |
