There
has been a census every ten years since 1801, excluding 1941. However,
only those that date from 1841 are of real value to the family
historian. The administration of the early census returns 1801-1831
was the responsibility of the Overseers of the Poor and the clergy.
Most of these early returns were unfortunately destroyed, although in some
isolated instances they have been preserved. The census returns for 1841
were the first to be kept and, as far as the general public is concerned,
the information is released by the Public Record Office after a hundred
years. For example, the public were given access to the 1891 census returns
on 1 January 1992.
The
census was taken on the following dates:
10 Mar |
1801 |
No
longer exists, with a few exceptions |
27 May |
1811 |
No
longer exists, with a few exceptions |
28 May |
1821 |
No
longer exists, with a few exceptions |
30 May |
1831 |
No
longer exists, with a few exceptions |
7 June |
1841 |
Few
local indexes exist |
30 Mar |
1851 |
Many
local indexes exist |
7 Apr |
1861 |
National
index available online |
2 Apr |
1871 |
National
index available online |
3 Apr |
1881 |
National
index available online |
5 Apr |
1891 |
National
index available online |
31 Mar |
1901 |
National
index available online |
2 Apr |
1911 |
100
year closure |
19 Jun |
1921 |
100
year closure |
26 Apr |
1931 |
Destroyed
during WW2 |
29 Sep |
1939 |
WW2
National Registration - 100 year closure |
8 Apr |
1951 |
100
year closure |
23 Apr |
1961 |
100
year closure |
25 Apr |
1971 |
100
year closure |
5 Apr |
1981 |
100
year closure |
21 Apr |
1991 |
100
year closure |
29 Apr |
2001 |
100
year closure |
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