What is the census?

The first census was taken in 1801 and has been repeated every 10 years, with the exception of 1941. The original purpose of the census was to provide the government with population statistics and until 1841 no personal information was asked.

All of the returns from 1841 onwards have an increasingly detailed set of questions. The census lists each household in England and Wales. The census can show you where your ancestors lived, who they lived with, their relationships, their jobs, their ages and places of birth and any disabilities or long-term illnesses that affected them.

Availability of the census

The returns are closed for 100 years to protect the privacy of the people involved. The most recent census to be released was the 1911 census (although sensitive information regarding medical conditions has been removed from the 1911 census returns until the full 100 years has past). In most instances you will be working backwards from the 1911 or 1901 censuses to trace your ancestors at 10-year intervals.

Where to find census returns

County record offices

You will find that most county record offices or local history centres have microform copies of the returns for that particular county. Dorset History Centre has copies of all returns for Dorset and some neighbouring parishes in Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon and Hampshire .

Local studies centres and libraries

You may find that local studies centres and larger libraries have copies of the returns.

Internet

The 1911 census is available on the  findmypast (opens in a new window) website. Access is by pay-per-view or subscription.

The 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901 census can found on the Ancestry website. This can be accessed from your home computer by pay-per-view or subscription, or access is free in the History Centre or any Dorset library.

Free access to indexes and transcripts of the census is available through the  Family Search (opens in a new window) website (1881) and  FreeCEN (opens in a new window) (1841, 1851, 1861, 1871 and 1891).

CD-ROM

The 1881 census returns for England and Wales have been put onto CD-Rom and can be searched by name.

What information is available

1901 Census

Taken on 31 March 1901, contains the most detailed information:

The 1901 census is now available via the Internet. This is searchable and includes both digitised copies of the original pages and transcripts of the information. As with any transcription it may include errors. Try different spellings of surnames or have a look on the microform copies available at the Family Records Centre or at local repositories.

1891 Census

Taken on 5 April 1891, includes the following:

1851- 1881 Censuses

The 1851-18881 returns include the same information as the 1891 census, but with the exception that they only ask about the profession, and not whether they are the employer or the employed. The dates they were taken are as follows:

• 1881 census - 3 April
• 1871 census - 2 April
• 1861 census - 7 April (This has a patchy survival rate. The returns for Dorset seem to have survived without incident but you may find this to be a problem elsewhere in the country)
• 1851 census - 30 March (This does not include the questions about whether the house was inhabited or how many rooms it had)

1841 Census

The 1841 census was taken on 6 June. It is less useful for family historians for a number of reasons:

• The ages of people over 15 were rounded down to the nearest five years. This means that if the returns list someone as 20 and you want to locate their baptism entry, you will have to search up to five years in the register. This is time-consuming and potentially very confusing
• The relationship to the head of the house was not noted and while you can make assumptions based on name and age, it may be possible to make a mistake. As mothers, wives, sisters, fathers, husbands and brothers may all share the same surname in the one house
• For place of birth only whether or not they were born in the county is recorded as 'yes' or 'no', rather than specifically where they were born
• As this census was taken during the summer there were lots of itinerant workers moving from their usual home to gain summer employment

Census returns are one of the best sources for tracing your family tree. The 1901 and 1881 returns are particularly useful if you search the national indexes. If you have lost your ancestors you stand a fairly good chance of finding them through these two censuses. The Dorset History Centre has a personal names index for the 1851 census and the 1891 census. There is also a partial index for 1841. It is worth checking with other record offices if they have indexes if you feel your ancestors moved.

Some problems with Census Returns

• Unfortunately they only cover the period 1841 to 1911. Any earlier or later than that and you have to use other sources
• It is possible to miss a child. If someone is born in 1862 and then dies in 1868 and you are relying on the census returns you will not pick up any details about them. Therefore you must use them in conjunction with other sources
• As with the GRO and parish registers the information is not always accurate. The enumerators may have misheard or misspelt a name, or age or occupation. If your ancestors were illiterate as many were, they would not have known if the correct spelling or name was being written down
• Family relationships were less rigid than they are today. The term 'in-law' was often used where we would use the 'step' prefix. Illegitimate children of the daughter of the house may well be listed as the children of the grandparents
• Your ancestors may have moved all over the country and without indexes it is very difficult and time-consuming to locate them again

Next step ...

If you want to find out more, take a look at our guides to records.

Or for further advice, why not contact or visit us.