England and Wales Census, 1841 - FamilySearch Historical Records

 England

 Wales

What is in This Collection?
Census schedules are arranged by county and then divided by civil parish, each district being an area that could be enumerated in a day.

General information about census records: 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 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.

Image Visibility
Whenever possible, FamilySearch makes images available for all users. However, rights to view images on our website are granted by the record custodians.

These images can be viewed online by members of the supporting organization(s), at a Family History Center near you, or the Family History Library. They are also viewable to users who are part of the FindMyPast, or who have contributed to the FamilySearch Indexing effort. Learn how to be a part of FamilySearch Indexing here.

For additional information about image restrictions, please see the Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections page.

What Can These Records Tell Me?

 * Name of the person living or visiting the home
 * Age
 * Gender
 * Occupation
 * Whether born in the country or foreign born
 * Place of residence
 * Census registration district

How Do I Search This Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

Search the Index
View images in this collection by visiting the 
 * 1) Select Country
 * 2) Select Parish to view the images

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?

 * Look at an image of the original record. The original may contain information that was not recorded in the index
 * Use the information to find additional family members in other censuses
 * Use the ages listed to determine an approximate birth date and to find other records such as birth, marriage, christening, and death records
 * Birth places can tell you former residences and can help to establish a migration pattern for the family

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

 * 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
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality in an area search
 * Check for other names. They might have been listed under a middle name, a nickname, or an abbreviation of their given name.
 * A woman may have returned to her maiden name after the death of her husband
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images

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, 1841." Database, Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. The National Archives.
 * Collection Citation:

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