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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 Wales 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.

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 Wales

Findmypast UK - available within the State Library building
The 1841-1911 census returns for Wales are available on Findmypast UK.

Ancestry library edition - available within the State Library building and at most public libraries in Western Australia
The 1841-1911 census returns for Wales are available on Ancestry.

Where else can I access the census?

FreeCEN
This website has some census data which has been transcribed by volunteers. The county with the best coverage is Flintshire.

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.

Use our SLWA Family History Bookmarks to find census websites for Wales recommended by the Family History Subject Specialists. Simply click on wales-census.