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Using the national census is essential for Cornish genealogical research. From 1851 onwards, census records give the parish of birth for each individual in a household. | Using the national census is essential for Cornish genealogical research. 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. | 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. | ||
Perhaps the most valuable pre-national census record is the 1641 Cornwall Protestation Returns where every male above the age of 18 was required to take an oath to follow the "true Protestant religion." This is essentially the equivalent of a census of all adult males in Cornwall, and more than 90% of the men in Cornwall at that time are listed by name. This contains approximately 30,000 names, listed by parish, from 5 boroughs and 197 of the 204 then-existing parishes. | |||
A list of existing pre-1841 census records and other census records is found in both of the following books: | A list of existing pre-1841 census records and other census records is found in both of the following books: | ||
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*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 [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlehitlist&columns=*%2C0%2C0&callno=942+X23gj book 942 X23gj].). | *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 [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlehitlist&columns=*%2C0%2C0&callno=942+X23gj book 942 X23gj].). | ||
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. | 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. | ||
== Census Dates == | == Census Dates == | ||