England and Wales Census, 1881 - FamilySearch Historical Records

 England

 Wales

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes records for 1881. 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. The British government has taken censuses every 10 years since 1801, except for 1941. This census covers those living in England and Wales on 3 April 1881.

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.

Collection Content
Census records usually contain the following information:
 * Town, civil parish and church parish 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
 * Birthplace of each household member
 * Physical impairments

How Do I Search This Collection?
As you begin your search in the census records, it is helpful to know the name of your ancestor and the time period when her or she lived.

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?

 * 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
 * If you have identified the names of the parents or the name of the spouse in the census of your ancestor, search for a marriage record for the couple.

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).
 * 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.
 * Search the records of nearby areas.
 * 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.

"England and Wales Census, 1881." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 20 August 2016. From "1881 England, Scotland and Wales census." Database and images. findmypast. http://www.findmypast.com : n.d. Citing PRO RG 11. The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
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