• Sex: Denotes the gender of the individual, usually given as M or F.
• Rank, profession or occupation: What the occupation of the individual was. Children at school would be noted down as ‘scholars’.
• Where born: People were required to note down exactly where they were born, usually stating the parish of birth. This information enables current researchers to find the birth or baptism details of those born prior to the onset of civil registration in 1837 and, therefore, to trace back the family tree further still.
• Whether blind or deaf and dumb: Such physical disabilities were to be noted.
• From 1891: Language: Anyone in Wales or Monmouthshire was required to state whether they spoke English only, Welsh only, or English and Welsh (listed as ‘both’).
As well as information on people living in households across the country, people in various residential institutions – schools, prisons, workhouses, hospitals and asylums – were also noted, though to preserve the anonymity of some of these categories, initials only were used instead of full names, making it tricky to identify a relative who you feel might be away from home. Data on the crews of ships docked in British ports are also included in the returns, as are soldiers in barracks and sailors in naval bases, establishments and ships in port.
Archive References for the 1851–1901 Censuses
1.1851 census
The same prefix code as the 1841 census is used, HO 107 (a National Archives reference). Registration districts were now used and were further divided into smaller sub-districts. The returns were organized by registration district. Each sub-district was given a piece number to follow on from HO 107. The first piece numbers were for the London area and then they were organized on a rough south-to-north basis. After all of England had been allocated piece numbers, subsequent ones were allocated for Wales and then the Isle of Man and, lastly, the Channel Islands. Each county, depending on its size, could include numerous piece numbers.
There was also a folio and page numbering system similar to the one mentioned for 1841. Once a new enumeration district started within a sub-district the page numbers would start from number 1 again. The reference slip is now on the bottom of a page and an example of a reference would be HO 107/2036. HO 107 is the standard reference and 2036 would be the piece number for the registration district of Stourbridge in Worcestershire. To find the exact page you need the folio and page number, although this is not be found on the reference slip itself, but on the top of the census return page. The folio page was stamped on every other page and the page number was printed on every page.
2.1861 census
From 1861 onwards the TNA prefix is different. Instead of ‘HO 107’, each census return is prefixed with ‘RG’ (Registrar General) and, depending on the year of the census, an appropriate number. Hence, for 1861, each census return has the initial prefix RG 9, the number 9 signifying the year 1861.
Other than that, the numbering system is similar to that of 1851. Each registration district was given a unique piece number and these numbers were organized on a similar geographical basis as those of 1851 (with the returns for London coming first). The reference slip is found at the side of the page; a typical one would be RG 9/602 where RG 9 would signify the 1861 census and 602 would represent registration district 85 for Brighton. Again for a complete reference you would need the appropriate folio and page number (described above).
3.1871 census
The referencing system is the same as that used in 1861. The only difference is the first prefix is now RG 10, signifying it is the 1871 census.
4.1881 census
Again, the referencing system is the same as used in the previous three censuses. The TNA prefix is now RG 11, as it is the 1881 census.
The 1881 census for England, Wales, Scotland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man was fully transcribed by the Church of Latter Day Saints in the 1980s. The Church has made access to this census in particular free of charge on its website, www.familysearch.org.
5.1891 census
The referencing system is the same as the previous censuses, RG 12 being the appropriate prefix code for this series.
The request for information about the employment status of individuals, where appropriate, was first made in this census. Additionally a column has been added detailing the number of rooms that were occupied in the dwelling house if less than five.
6.1901 census
This is the last publicly available census until the release of the majority of the information in the 1911 census in 2009. The appropriate prefix for this collection is RG 13.
Accessing Census Collections for England and Wales
As already mentioned, the original householders’ schedule forms were destroyed for 1841 to 1901. The original enumerator books, which form the census returns, are held at TNA for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The census returns for Scotland and Ireland (discussed below) are held at their appropriate record offices.
The census returns for 1841 to 1901 have all been microfilmed and it is these microfilmed versions that are available to view. However, a far easier way to access and view census returns is via the Internet, as the records have been digitized by different commercial websites that offer access to them for a fee. Below are details of the many different ways you can access the censuses.
The National Archives
All census returns from 1841 to 1901 are available, free of charge, at TNA in its reading rooms at Kew, South West London, on microfilm or microfiche. Reference guides, leaflets and indexes are available to help you locate the relevant TNA reference. Online access to the returns for 1841–91 via TNA’s commercial partner Ancestry is also available in the reading rooms for free, though you have to pay for any copies you make. You can also