Census
Census records are a key source of information for family historians. From them we can learn our ancestors’ age, address, occupation, marital status and that all-important birthplace. It is a good idea to look at the census pages around the one you are researching as these can often uncover relatives and will also give you a good idea of the type of neighbourhood in which your ancestors lived.
A census has been taken of the population in England every ten years since 1801 with the exception of 1941. However, the 1801-1831 censuses did not record the names of people so are only useful for statistical purposes.
![1881 census for Saint Just, Cornwall, showing William Charles Angwin who was later to become a Western Australian politician [Ancestry library edition; Class RG11; Piece 2350; Folio 96; Page 12]](http://slwa.wa.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0013/28012/Angwin_1881-census800px.jpg)
The following table shows the date of each census since 1841 with its National Archives reference:
| Census Date | National Archives Reference |
| 6 June 1841 | HO 107 |
| 30 March 1851 | HO 107 |
| 7 April 1861 | RG 9 |
| 2 April 1871 | RG 10 |
| 3 April 1881 | RG 11 |
| 5 April 1891 | RG 12 |
| 31 March 1901 | RG 13 |
| 2 April 1911 | RG 14 |
Census: the expert guide
For in-depth information about the censuses see this key work published by The National Archives in 2008. It includes tips for searching online censuses and comparisons of the various commercial sites.
Where to find census returns for England
The 1841-1911 census returns for England are available on Findmypast UK which can be accessed within the State Library building.
The 1841-1901 census returns for England are available on Ancestry library edition which can be accessed within the State Library building and in many public libraries.
The 1911 census returns are available on Ancestry but have not yet been indexed for most of England and are therefore not searchable. So far, only those for the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man have been indexed.
Where else can I access the census?
The Library holds published census data for various counties. Try searching our catalogue under keyword with the name of the county + census e.g devon census.
FreeCEN
This website has some census data which has been transcribed by volunteers. Coverage varies but is particularly good for some counties such as Cornwall.
FamilySearch
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has indexed the 1841-1861 and 1881-1901 censuses and transcriptions of some of the data is available through their website. However, images of the census pages are not available.
Page last updated: Wednesday 18 January 2012
