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==Introduction to England and Wales Census==
{{Historical populations
{{Historical populations
|heading = Census
|heading = Census
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A census is a count and description of a population. A census may list only selected persons (such as males between the ages of 16 and 45) or the whole population. The percentage of people listed varies with the purpose of the census and how carefully people were enumerated. Different civil and ecclesiastical authorities have taken censuses for their own purposes, which include:  
The census is a head count of everyone in the country on a given day. A census has been taken in England and Wales, and separately for Scotland, every ten years since 1801, with the exception of 1941.
<ref>[https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/census-records/ National Archives Census Records ] ''How to look for records of...Census records.'' Date Accessed: 27 December 2021.</ref><br><br>
A well-indexed census is one of the '''easiest ways to locate where an ancestor lived''' and when they lived there. You can also use censuses to:  
<li>Follow the family over time</li>
<li>Determine family relationships</li>
<li>Find clues to other locations where the family lived</li>


*Population studies
==Censuses with Online Links==
*Military readiness (militia lists and so on)  
{| class="wikitable" width= "75%" style="display: inline-table;"
*Taxes for relief of the poor (called "poor rates")  
|-
*Recording eligible voters (poll books)<br><br>
! style="background:#cccccc; scope:col; width:5.5%"| 1801-1831<br>(Incomplete)*
FamilySearch research tutorial:   [https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lessons/england-and-wales-census-records-1841-1911-indexes '''England and Wales Census Records 1841-1911 Indexes'''] <br><br>
! style="background:#cccccc; scope:col; width:5.5%"| 1841
! style="background:#cccccc; scope:col; width:5.5%"| 1851
! style="background:#cccccc; scope:col; width:5.5%"| 1861
! style="background:#cccccc; scope:col; width:5.5%"| 1871
|-
|[https://1841census.co.uk/pre-1841-census-information/ National Archives]*<br>[https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search/historical-records?region=england&start_year=1801&end_year=1831&keywords=census&page=1&order_direction=desc&order_by=relevance FindMyPast]($)
|{{RecordSearch|1493745|FamilySearch}}<br> [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8978/ Ancestry.com]($)<br>[https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/1841-england-wales-and-scotland-census FindMyPast]($)
|{{RecordSearch|2563939|FamilySearch}}<br> [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8860/ Ancestry.com]($)<br>[https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/1851-england-wales-and-scotland-census FindMyPast]($)
|{{RecordSearch|1493747|FamilySearch}}<br> [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8767/ Ancestry.com]($)<br>[https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/1861-england-wales-and-scotland-census FindMyPast]($)
|{{RecordSearch|1538354|FamilySearch}}<br> [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7619/ Ancestry.com]($)<br>[https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/1871-england-wales-and-scotland-census FindMyPast]($)
|-
!style="background:#cccccc; scope:col; width:5.5%"|1881
!style="background:#cccccc; scope:col; width:5.5%"|1891
!style="background:#cccccc; scope:col; width:5.5%"|1901
!style="background:#cccccc; scope:col; width:5.5%"|1911
!style="background:#cccccc; scope:col; width:5.5%"|1921
|-
|{{RecordSearch|2562194|FamilySearch}}<br> [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7572/ Ancestry.com]($)<br>[https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/1881-england-wales-and-scotland-census FindMyPast]($)
|{{RecordSearch|1865747|FamilySearch}}<br> [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6598/ Ancestry.com]($)<br>[https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/1891-england-wales-and-scotland-census FindMyPast]($)
|{{RecordSearch|1888129|FamilySearch}}<br> [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7814/ Ancestry.com]($)<br>[https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/1901-england-wales-and-scotland-census FindMyPast]($)
|{{RecordSearch|1921547|FamilySearch}}<br> [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2352/ Ancestry.com]($)<br>[https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/1911-census-for-england-and-wales FindMyPast]($)
|[https://www.findmypast.com/1921-census FindMyPast]($)
|-
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki>1801-1831 detailed information on incomplete records
===== Additional Online Links=====
*[https://www.thegenealogist.com/census/ The Genealogist Parish Registers - Derbyshire]($)
*[https://www.freecen.org.uk/ FreeCEN]($)
*[https://www.myheritage.com/research/category-1200/uk-ireland-census MyHeritage]($)


== National Census  ==


The national census records are especially valuable because they list nearly the entire population and are readily available at many repositories, including the Family History Library.  
==Census Forms and Headings==
The links below show the form layouts and the column headings on each census form.  The headings listed the questions asked on each census (in PDF format). Also, Guy Etchells has assembled a collection of [http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~framland/census/directions.htm the official instructions given to enumerators for each census].


Using the national census is essential for Welsh genealogical research, especially in the industrial districts of south Wales, where most people were originally from a rural area. From 1851 onwards, census records give the parish of birth for each individual in a household.  
{|
 
|-
The British government has taken censuses every ten years since 1801, except for 1941. The first census to list every person by name was taken in 1841. Earlier censuses contain only statistical information, but some parishes did compile lists of names while gathering information for the census, a few of which survive. See the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under:  
|style="vertical-align:top; padding-right:30px; width:100%"|
 
<li> [https://www.ancestrycdn.com/legacy/pdf/trees/charts/ukcensus1841.pdf 1841 Census Form] (PDF)</li>
;'''WALES, [COUNTY], [PARISH] - CENSUS'''
  <li> [https://www.ancestrycdn.com/legacy/pdf/trees/charts/ukcensus1851.pdf 1851 Census Form] (PDF)</li>
 
  <li>[[Media:1841 and 1851 Headings for the Census of England and Wales.pdf|1841 and 1851 Headings for the Census of England and Wales]]</li>
A list of existing pre-1841 census records and other census records is found in both of the following books:
  <li> [https://www.ancestrycdn.com/legacy/pdf/trees/charts/ukcensus1841.pdf 1841 Census Form] (PDF)</li>
  <li> [https://www.ancestrycdn.com/legacy/pdf/trees/charts/ukcensus1851.pdf 1851 Census Form] (PDF)</li>
  <li>[[Media:1841 and 1851 Headings for the Census of England and Wales.pdf|1841 and 1851 Headings for the Census of England and Wales]]</li>
  <li>[https://www.ancestrycdn.com/legacy/pdf/trees/charts/ukcensus1861.pdf 1861 Census Form] (PDF)</li>
  <li>[https://www.ancestrycdn.com/legacy/pdf/trees/charts/ukcensus1871.pdf 1871 Census Form] (PDF)</li>
  <li> [[Media:1861 and 1871 Headings for the Census of England and Wales.pdf|1861 and 1871 Headings for the Census of England and Wales]]</li>
  <li>[https://www.ancestrycdn.com/legacy/pdf/trees/charts/ukcensus1881.pdf 1881 Census Form] (PDF)</li>
  <li>[https://www.ancestrycdn.com/legacy/pdf/trees/charts/ukcensus1891.pdf 1891 Census Form] (PDF)</li>
  <li> [[Media:1881 and 1891 Headings for the Census of England and Wales.pdf|1881 and 1891 Headings for the Census of England and Wales]]</li>
  <li> [https://www.ancestrycdn.com/legacy/pdf/trees/charts/ukcensus1901.pdf 1901 Census Form] (PDF)
  <li>[https://www.ancestrycdn.com/legacy/pdf/trees/charts/ukcensus1911.pdf 1911 Census Form] (PDF)
  <li> [[Media:1901 and 1911 Headings for the Census of England and Wales.pdf|1901 and 1911 Headings for the Census of England and Wales]]</li>
</ul>
|}


*Chapman, Colin R. Pre-1841 ''Censuses &amp; Population Listings in the British Isles''. 4th ed. Dursley, England: Lochin Publishing, 1994. (Family History Library {{FHL|942 X27cc|disp=942 X27cc}} 1994.)
==Understanding the Census==
*Gibson, Jeremy, and Mervyn Medlycott. ''Local Census Listings 1522–1930: Holdings in the British Isles''. Birmingham, England: Federation of Family History Societies (Publications) Ltd., 1992. (Family History Library {{FHL|942 X23gj|disp=book 942 X23gj}}.).
In England and Wales, the government censuses have been taken every ten years since 1801. The first four censuses, 1801 through 1831, were taken strictly for statistical purposes for the Overseers of the Poor and substantial households.<ref>University of Essex [https://www1.essex.ac.uk/history/documents/research/RT2_Wall_2012.pdf PDF on the University of Essex's server] ''Census schedules and listings, 1801–1831:an introduction and guide'' pg.4 Date Accessed: 27 December 2021.</ref><br>
The first census listing people by name was taken in 1841.<br> Census records are generally released 100 years after they were taken.<br><br>
These links give detailed information on the England and Wales censuses.<br>
*[http://www.thepotteries.org/education/census.htm Census returns for England & Wales]
*[http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/Census.html GENUKI England and Wales:- Census]
*[[England Census: Further Information and Description]]<br><br>
'''How the Censuses were Taken'''<br><br>
Census details changed little year to year. Each census used a pre-printed form and were taken on specific dates. The enumeration districts were small enough for an enumerator to complete his work in one day. To avoid double counting, the pre-printed form was handed by the enumerator to the head of household with the instructions to only record those physically located at the home on census night. Therefore those away at boarding schools, working at night, on vacation, etc. were not enumerated. Conversely, relatives, boarders, servants, etc. were enumerated. The pre-printed forms were collected soon after the census date. From 1841-1901 the enumerator copied the household information onto a master form. In 1911 the original forms were kept, with each household having its own form. <br>


Census records less than 100 years old have been treated as confidential and not made available for searching by individuals. The ''"100 year rule"'' was introduced by government in 1966 but the ''"Freedom Of Information Act 2000"'' has been used to nullify this ruling. Therefore the government has decided to release the 1911 Census early, in 2009. However, the ''"1920 Census Act"'' specifically applies a 100 year rule to the 1921 and later censuses and early releases of these censuses are unlikely without change in legislation.
The dates of each census were as follows:


== Census Dates  ==
{| class="FCK__ShowTableBorders" cellpadding="3"
 
{| width="70%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" border="1" class="wikitable"
|-
! '''Year'''
! '''Date'''
! '''Availability'''
|-
| 1841
| 6 June
| available now
|-
| 1851
| 30 March
| available now
|-
| 1861
| 7 April
| available now
|-
| 1871
| 2 April
| available now
|-
| 1881
| 3 April
| available now
|-
| 1891
| 5 April
| available now
|-
| 1901
| 31 March
| available now
|-
| 1911
| 2 April
| available now
|-
| 1921
| 19 June
| [https://www.findmypast.com/1921-census available January 6, 2022]
|-
| 1931
| 26 April
| ''this census was destroyed during World War II''
|-
| 1939
| 29 September (''National Registration'')
| [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/1939-register/ available now] at [http://www.findmypast.co.uk findmypast.]
|-
| 1941
| ''no census taken owing to World War II''
| -
|-
|-
| 1951
|'''1841''' – June 6
| 8 April  
|'''1881''' – April 3
| available from 1 January 2052?
|-
|-
| 1961
|'''1851''' – March 30
| 23 April  
|'''1891''' – April 5
| available from 1 January 2062?
|-
|-
| 1971
|'''1861''' – April 7
| 25 April  
|'''1901''' – March 31
| available from 1 January 2072?
|-
|-
| 1981
|'''1871''' – April 2
| 5 April  
|'''1911''' – April 2
| available from 1 January 2082?
|-
|-
| 1991
|
| 21 April
|'''1921''' - June 19
| available from 1 January 2092?
|-
| 2001
| 29 April
| available from 1 January 2102?
|-
| 2011
| 27 March
| available from 1 January 2112?
|}
|}


== Understanding the Census  ==
'''Wales Geographic Organization'''
 
'''Geographic Organization'''


The census office organized the census by '''civil registration districts''', which were subdivided into '''enumeration districts'''. The only exception is the 1841, census which was arranged by '''hundreds''' (hundreds are administrative subdivisions of land). On the census films, each enumeration district includes a title page with the district number and a description of the area covered by the district. These registration districts crossed both county and national boundaries! For example the town of '''Llangollen''', in the county of '''Denbighshire''', was part of the '''Corwen''' registration district, even though Corwen was in the county of '''Merionethshire'''. Similarly, the town of '''Chirk''', in '''Denbighshire''', was in the '''Oswestry''' registration district, even though Oswestry was in the county of '''Shropshire''' in England.  
The census office organized the census by '''civil registration districts''', which were subdivided into '''enumeration districts'''. The only exception is the 1841, census which was arranged by '''hundreds''' (hundreds are administrative subdivisions of land). On the census films, each enumeration district includes a title page with the district number and a description of the area covered by the district. These registration districts crossed both county and national boundaries! For example the town of '''Llangollen''', in the county of '''Denbighshire''', was part of the '''Corwen''' registration district, even though Corwen was in the county of '''Merionethshire'''. Similarly, the town of '''Chirk''', in '''Denbighshire''', was in the '''Oswestry''' registration district, even though Oswestry was in the county of '''Shropshire''' in England.  
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The 1841 census was taken on 7 June. Most of the later censuses were taken between 31 March and 8 April, every 10 years. Instructions were to list only those persons who spent the night in each household when the census was taken. Those travelling, staying at boarding schools, or working away from home are listed where they spent the night. For example, night watchmen are often listed at their employer’s business address rather than with their families.  
The 1841 census was taken on 7 June. Most of the later censuses were taken between 31 March and 8 April, every 10 years. Instructions were to list only those persons who spent the night in each household when the census was taken. Those travelling, staying at boarding schools, or working away from home are listed where they spent the night. For example, night watchmen are often listed at their employer’s business address rather than with their families.  
===Pre-1841 Census===
There are 791 surviving census listings for 1801-1831 created on the parish level.<ref>Wall, Richard, Matthew Woollard, and Beatrice Moring. ''Census schedules and listings, 1801-1831: an introduction and guide''. Colchester: Dept. of History, University of Essex. 2004.</ref> The few surviving pre-1841 censuses generally contain only names of the head-of-household.
*The University of Essex, Department of History published an easy to follow PDF file in 2004 entitled [https://www1.essex.ac.uk/history/documents/research/RT2_Wall_2012.pdf  ''Census Schedules and Listings, 1801-1831: An Introduction and Guide'' by Richard Wall, Matthew Woollard and Beatrice Moring],
*The [[Online Historical Population Reports]] page has statistical data available for every parish in the pre-1841 censuses.


'''Changing Questions'''
'''Changing Questions'''
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'''Census Forms and Worksheets'''
'''Census Forms and Worksheets'''
Census returns are arranged in columns. Column titles are:
*Place or street address
*Name of each person living in the abode on the night of the census
*Relationship to the head of the household
*Age and sex, arranged by males and females<br>
*Profession, trade or employment
*Where born<br><br>
:For examples of each census year's heading format in easy-to-read and enlargeable PDF form see:
::*[[Media:1841_and_1851_Headings_for_the_Census_of_England_and_Wales.pdf|1841 and 1851 Headings for the Census of England and Wales]]
::*[[Media:1861_and_1871_Headings_for_the_Census_of_England_and_Wales.pdf|1861 and 1871 Headings for the Census of England and Wales]]
::*[[Media:1881_and_1891_Headings_for_the_Census_of_England_and_Wales.pdf|1881 and 1891 Headings for the Census of England and Wales]]
::*[[Media:1901_and_1911_Headings_for_the_Census_of_England_and_Wales.pdf|1901 and 1911 Headings for the Census of England and Wales]]
::A generic '''[[Media:British_Census_Form.pdf|census worksheet]]''' can be used to record information found in ''all'' census records. Or, forms for specific census years are available at Ancestry.com:
:::*[https://www.ancestrycdn.com/legacy/pdf/trees/charts/ukcensus1841.pdf 1841 Census Form] (PDF)
:::*[https://www.ancestrycdn.com/legacy/pdf/trees/charts/ukcensus1851.pdf 1851 Census Form] (PDF)
:::*[https://www.ancestrycdn.com/legacy/pdf/trees/charts/ukcensus1861.pdf 1861 Census Form] (PDF)
:::*[https://www.ancestrycdn.com/legacy/pdf/trees/charts/ukcensus1871.pdf 1871 Census Form] (PDF)
:::*[https://www.ancestrycdn.com/legacy/pdf/trees/charts/ukcensus1881.pdf 1881 Census Form] (PDF)
:::*[https://www.ancestrycdn.com/legacy/pdf/trees/charts/ukcensus1891.pdf 1891 Census Form] (PDF)
:::*[https://www.ancestrycdn.com/legacy/pdf/trees/charts/ukcensus1901.pdf 1901 Census Form] (PDF)
:::*[https://www.ancestrycdn.com/legacy/pdf/trees/charts/ukcensus1911.pdf 1911 Census Form] (PDF)


== Searching Census Records  ==
== Searching Census Records  ==
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== Census Indexes  ==
== Census Indexes  ==


Census indexes can reduce the time it takes to search a census. Some surname or street indexes exist for some areas.  
Census indexes can reduce the time it takes to search a census. Some surname or street indexes exist for some areas. <br>
 
'''Surname Indexes.''' Before you search the actual census, look for a surname index. There are many surname indexes for Welsh censuses. Most of these indexes have been produced by family history societies in Wales, and many are available at the Family History Library. The indexes vary in format and information. Some list surnames only, while others give complete transcriptions.
 
Before you use an index, make sure it covers the area you need. An index may cover part of a parish, a whole parish, a town, a sub-district, or a district.
 
Surname indexes produced in Wales give the Public Record Office reference, which usually includes a piece or bundle number. To convert the bundle number in the surname index to a Family History Library call number, use:
 
*1841 Family History Library {{FHL|168243|title-id|disp=book 942 X22p 1841; film 599273}}
*1851 Family History Library {{FHL|942 X23c|disp=book 942 X23c}}
*1861 Family History Library {{FHL|942 X2pib|disp=book 942 X2pib}}
*1871 Family History Library {{FHL|942 X23cp|disp=book 942 X23cp}}
*1881 Family History Library {{FHL|942 X22g|disp=book 942 X22g; microfiche 6035786}}
*1891 Family History Library {{FHL|942 X22i|disp=book 942 X22i}} 1891
 
The FamilySearch Catalog lists surname indexes under:
 
;'''WALES, [COUNTY] - CENSUS - [YEAR] - INDEXES'''
 
;'''WALES, [COUNTY], [DISTRICT] - CENSUS - [YEAR] - INDEXES'''
 
;'''WALES, [COUNTY], [PARISH or TOWN] - CENSUS - [YEAR] - INDEXES'''


You can also check the Census Surname Index Register (not cataloged typescript) at the Family History Library or click on the below links to see the Census Surname Indexes in this register book. (This register is not available at Family History Centers.)  
You can check the Census Surname Index Register (not cataloged typescript) at the Family History Library or click on the below links to see the Census Surname Indexes in this register book. (This register is not available at Family History Centers.)  


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