England and Wales Census, 1911 - FamilySearch Historical Records

 England  Wales

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes records for the 1911 census, which was taken on April 2, 1911.

Census schedules consist of large sheets with preprinted 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. Enumerators went door to door collecting the data in census books. 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. 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 index to the 1911 Census of England and Wales is provided by findmypast.com. Their index will be published to FamilySearch with links to images on their website.

A special feature of the 1911 census is the question of how many children were born to the woman, how many are still living, and how many are deceased. The answers to these questions are a wonderful source to identify missing children who may have been born and died between censuses.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Census records contain the following information:


 * District, civil parish, church parish, and county where census was taken
 * Given names and surnames of each household member
 * Relationship to head of household
 * Age, gender, marital status and occupation of each household member
 * Place of birth
 * Nationality
 * Physical infirmities
 * Language spoken

Collection Content
Sample of indexed information:

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person you are looking for
 * Approximate location of residence

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. Keep track of your research in a research log.

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

 * Use the age listed to determine an approximate birth date. This date along with the place of birth can help you find a birth record
 * Birth places can tell you former residences and can help to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * It is often helpful to extract the information on all families with the same surname in the same general area
 * Be sure to extract all families before you look at other records. The relationships given will help you to organize family groups. The family groupings will help you identify related families when you discover additional information in other records
 * Occupations listed can lead you to employment records or other types of records
 * Take note of the columns which indicate the number of children born to the woman, how many children are still living, and how many are deceased. These answers can give you clues to find any missing children that may have been born and died between censuses
 * An address is usually shown in the lower right corner of the image. This can help to tie the record to previous known residences

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

 * Check for spelling variations for the names
 * Make sure you are searching in the right parish
 * Search the surrounding area
 * Given names may not be the same as a name recorded in church or vital records
 * The information may be incorrect
 * 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

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in England. The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Wales.
 * England Guided Research
 * England Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Wales Guided Research
 * Wales Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

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.