England and Wales Census, 1901 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection includes records for the year 1901.

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. 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 Registrar General created the national censuses. Enumerators went door to door collecting the data in census books. The 1841 census was taken on June 7. 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.

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.

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.

FindMyPast states that the village of Deal in Kent is missing in its entirety from this census and there are no known copies available. Additionally, Numbers 1-14 Doughty Mews, St. Pancras, London are also missing and Numbers 15-29 are there. base/census/index.jsp#searching This information is recorded here.

Record Content
Census records usually contain the following information:


 * District, civil parish, church parish and country where census was taken
 * Given names and surnames of each household member
 * Age and gender of each household member
 * Relationship to head of household
 * Birthplace
 * Occupation
 * Any physical impairments

The census record may also list the birth country for people born outside of England.

How to Use the Record
To begin your search in the census, it would be helpful if you knew the following information:


 * Name of ancestor
 * Approximate year and place of residence
 * Approximate year of birth

Search the Collection
Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor in the census, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.

For example:


 * 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 records often list biographical and marital details about the parents and close relatives other than the immediate family.
 * 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. If the surname is uncommon, it is likely that those living in the same area were related.

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.

Tips to Keep in Mind
Some other helpful tips to keep in mind are:


 * Married family members may have lived nearby but in a separate household so you may want to search an entire town, neighboring towns, or even a county.
 * You may be able to identify an earlier generation if elderly parents were living with or close by a married child.
 * You may be able to identify a younger generation if a young married couple still lived with one of their sets of parents.
 * Additional searches may be needed to locate all members of a particular family in the census.

You may have to read around marks made by the clerks who compiled the census data. These marks sometimes obscure the information.

Consider This

Other things to consider when finding and using census information are:


 * Be aware that as with any index, transcription errors may occur.
 * Accept the ages with caution.
 * 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.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?
If you do not find the person or family you are looking for, try the following:


 * Check for spelling variations for the names.
 * Make sure you are searching in the right parish.
 * Search the surrounding area.

Related Websites

 * Several other sites provide transcriptions and images for a fee. You can see names, ages and estimated date of birth and occupation for free at these sites.


 * This website also allows you to search a transcribed index of the census. It is searchable by institution (hospitals, barracks, orphanages), vessels, addresses, and enumeration districts.  www.1901censusonline.com


 * The National Archives site lists which censuses from 1841-1911are available through FindMyPast and Ancestry and which ways they can be searched. There are links to a Research Guide and census informtion for Scotland and Ireland. www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/census-records.htm.


 * The UKcensusonline site also has transcriptions and images of censuses from 1841-1911.  There is a helpful chart of exactly what information was recorded in which census.  This same section gives case studies such as finding the marriage of Robert and Elizabeth Browning, a famous scientist and the residents of a particular home. (Look in Frequently Asked Questions) www.ukcensusonline.com/


 * England and Wales History Links
 * England and Wales Historic Maps

Related Wiki Articles

 * England Census
 * Wales Census
 * Quick Research Links - England
 * Quick Research Links - Wales

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Records collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

Return to England Census Page