England and Wales Census, 1871 - FamilySearch Historical Records

 England

 Wales

What is in This Collection?
The 1871 census taken on the night of 2 April gave the total population as 26,072,036. FamilySearch records indicate that the collection contains 1,365,706. Please note that the description of the collection states that it is only 26% complete. This census is in the process of being indexed.

Census schedules consist of large sheets with pre-printed rows and columns. The schedules are arranged by county and then divided by civil parish, while some are further subdivided into smaller enumeration districts, each district being an area that could be enumerated in a day. For reference purposes, the National Archives assigned a piece number to each enumeration district and stamped a folio number in the upper right corner of each right-side page. The number refers to entries on both sides of the page (both the recto and verso of the folio).

The Registrar General created the national censuses. Enumerators went door to door collecting the data in census books. Censuses taken between 1851 and 1931 were conducted on a single day, sometime between March 31 and April 8. The census takers listed only those who spent the night in each household, so individuals who were traveling or at school were listed where they spent the night. Almost all the residents of England are included in the census. Non-citizens were also included.

The following civil parishes, townships, or places in the registration district of Gower in Glamorgan and the Sub-District of Gower Western are missing:


 * Registration Sub-District 2B Gower Western
 * Porteynon
 * Penrice
 * Oxwich
 * Nicholaston
 * Penmaen (3)
 * Reynoldston
 * Llandewy
 * Knelston

The original schedules are well preserved and housed at the Public Records Office in Kew. Microfilm copies are located at the Family History Library, at the Family Records Centre in England, and at county record offices and some libraries. An attempt is now being made to preserve the records by transcribing and publishing them. Some of these preservation efforts are being published in book form, while others are being posted on the Internet.

The British government has taken censuses every 10 years since 1801, except for 1941. This census covers those living in England and Wales on 2 April 1871.

The Registrar General created censuses for various reasons, including population studies, accessing military readiness, compiling lists of eligible voters, and tracking relief to the poor.

The information gathered by the census taker is only as reliable as the person who provided the information. While some information may not be completely accurate, it can still provide important clues in locating an ancestor.

Collection Content
Census records usually contain the following information:


 * Place, district, parish and county where census was taken
 * Given name and surname of each household member
 * Relationship to head of household
 * Birthplace of each household member
 * Age, gender and marital status of each household member
 * Occupation
 * Physical impairments

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * When you find your family in one census, search earlier or later censuses to find additional family members and to verify details.
 * Married family members may have lived nearby, but in a separate household.
 * Look at an image of the original record. The original may contain information that was not recorded in the index. To find a copy of the original record, visit the The National Archives page.
 * Additional searches may be needed to locate all members of a particular family in the census

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking for, What Now?

 * Names may be spelled phonetically (or as they sounded to the census taker).
 * Place-names may be misspelled.
 * Individuals missing from a family may be listed elsewhere in the census.
 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This can help you find possible relatives.
 * Check for other names. An individual might appear under an unexpected name for a variety of reasons:
 * - They might have been listed under a middle name, nickname, or abbreviation of their given name.
 * -A woman may have returned to her maiden name after the death of her husband.

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

Below are the proper citations to use for this whole collection as well as for individual records and images within it: Collection Citation: Record Citation (or citation for the index entry): Image Citation:

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