Census Search

The Census

© Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

The census is one of the most useful sets of records available. Placing an ancestor with their parents and siblings when they are young, or finding them in later life with a spouse and children are just a few of the things that can be discovered.

The census can be the most effective way of following an ancestor who moved across the country (perhaps due to work for example). The place of birth is recorded on census returns but is lacking on many other documents. Many mariners and soldiers would simply be impossible to find easily without census returns, due to the transient nature of their employment.

Searching the census may appear easy to do, but often an ancestor can be difficult to locate for several reasons. Mostly the problem is due to a mis-transcribed name, or errors which can occur in the original documents or when the index is compiled. It is best to view the image whenever possible to verify what has been recorded, as the index and image may have conflicting details.

Census Dates

• 1911 ref always start RG14 - census date 2nd/3rd April
• 1901 ref always start RG13 - census date 31st March
• 1891 ref always start RG12 - census date 5th April
• 1881 ref always start RG11 - census date 3rd April
• 1871 ref always start RG10 - census date 2nd April
• 1861 ref always start RG9 - census date 7th April
• 1851 ref always start HO107 - census date 30th March
• 1841 ref always start HO107 - census date 6th June

• (note: 1841 piece numbers 1-1465; 1851 piece numbers 1466-2531)

By following the illustrated techniques below, you can see how to locate your ancestors in the census and follow some proven methods to help find those missing census images.

Have a look at the Records Office Guide for more information about the census records.

The Illustrated Guide to Census Returns

• Finding Martha
  
  

• Searching the 1881 census on the LDS
  
  

• Searching a census on Ancestry
  
  

• Refine your search
  
  

• The surname may have been written differently
  
  

• Missing family in 1861
  
  

• Finding images from a particular parish
  
  

• Census address search
  
  

If you still can't find those missing families, you may find these Wiki pages useful:

• Missing your relatives in 1881?
  
  

• Missing districts in 1861
  
  

Useful Resources and Websites

• Your Archives:Historical Streets Project Street indexes to the censuses of England and Wales.

• For a very useful tutorial on reading old handwriting and what you will find on a census return: Techniques for Reading Difficult Writing in a Census

• When you have tracked down your ancestors in the Canada 1881, British 1881 or US 1880 Census you might like to enter them on the Lost Cousins website. Just enter your ancestors - then click the Search button!

• A Guide to the LDS

• Victorian Occupations 1891

• British Census Indexes, Transcripts, and Images Available Online or on CD

• The Census Enumerators' Books

• How Organisations Were Recorded in Census

• An Introduction to Census Searching

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