Back to C & G Index Page Back to Article Index Page Back to LGS Main Page

Computers & Genealogy - Article #5
"Finding Census Information in Countries Around the World, Part I"

by Byron Bray

I thought that, this month, we could review some of the resources related to censuses and Social Security information that are available over the Internet. Originally, fool that I am, I thought it would be easy to incorporate this material into one article; No Way!!! There are so many resources, that I am going to present part of it each month for the next three months or so!

Censuses Around the World
As Americans, we tend to focus on the work of the U.S. Census Bureau as being the be-all and end-all of census data. As genealogical researchers, it is important to recognize that censuses have been conducted in many nations around the world, and some have done so long before the United States came into existence. These censuses have often been conducted by churches, county or shire administrations, by rulers as part of their efforts to control and provide for their kingdoms, as well as by the governments of republics and federations. As a nation of immigrants, this is information that can help all of us!!!

For example, censuses (or partial censuses) have been performed in England, other European countries, China, Japan and other nations for many centuries!! I'm going to list several sites you may want to investigate, if your ancestors come from (or you suspect your ancestors come from) the appropriate country. Unfortunately, I am only going to include resources related to England, Canada and a few European countries, in this article. But rest assured we will cover more territory next month.

England

One of the best web-sites for researchers looking for English census data is:

"Ron Taylor's UK Census Finding Aids and Indexes". Click Here to Go There

This web site is devoted to the free distribution of UK Census Index Data. It contains various indexes to UK Census Data, mainly from the 1851 Census, for purposes of Genealogical and Family History Research. There are indexes to strays from various counties and from Scotland, Ireland, Germany and France. There are indexes to some occupations which, by their nature, make it likely that people would turn up in unexpected places (e.g. servants, apprentices, doctors, policemen, nurses, navy, army, fishermen, travelers and clergy). Also there are indexes to those likely to be institutionalized (paupers, inmates, prisoners, prostitutes) A particularly useful Index is to those people enumerated as visitors, since, by definition, they were somewhere other than their own residences on Census night it is a good place to look for those missing people. His site also includes sections on:

Censuses Strays by County
Eventually these indexes will exist for every county in England, Scotland and Wales. He began with the most populous counties (Middlesex, Kent, Essex, Surrey and Lancashire), but additional counties are being added on a regular basis. The indexes consist of people found in counties other than their county of birth.

Census Indexes by Occuption
The intention is to index the more "mobile" occupations. Current examples include Policemen, Soldiers, Fishermen, Sailors, Doctors, Nurses, Servants, Apprentices.

Census Strays from Scotland and Ireland
Indexes of those born in Scotland and Ireland who were not in those countries at the time of the Census.

Census Indexes of Visitors
Indexes of Visitors (those who were not at their current residence on Census night)

Census Strays from France & Germany
Indexes of those born in France and Germany who were not in those countries at the time of the Census.(the majority were British citizens born abroad, but there are a number of foreign nationals also.

Again, you can explore his page at:

"http://rontay.digiweb.com/" (without the quotes) or Click Here.



Some other good England sites are:

Canada
There are many good Canadian census resources, some going back to the 1700's. These early records are often in the form of city censuses, since each city was, in effect, a separate colony at that time. There are hundreds of such sites, including:

Ireland
Country-wide, governmental censuses were taken, in Ireland in 1821, 1831, 1841, 1851, 1861 & 1871, 1901 & 1911. There are also other resources (17th, 18th & 19th Century Census Substitutes) that can be found by searching the site shown below.

The first four, for 1821, 1831, 1841, and 1851, were largely destroyed in 1922, in a fire at the Public Record Office; surviving fragments are available. Those for 1861 and 1871 were completely destroyed earlier, by order of the government.

This means that the earliest surviving comprehensive returns are for 1901 and 1911. Because of this, the normal rule that census returns should not be available to the public for 100 years has been suspended in the Republic of Ireland, and the original returns can be consulted in the National Archives. You can find the Ireland Census Page and many other wonderful research resources at the "Irish Ancestors" site at:

English Census Records (1851 - 1891) can be found at:

    "http://www.obliquity.com/family/census/" (without the quotes)
    or Click Here.


Although these returns are obviously very late for most purposes, the information they contain can still be extremely useful. The 1901 returns record the following - name; relationship to the head of the household; religion; literacy; occupation; age; marital status; county of birth; ability to speak English or Irish.

Members of the family not present when the census was taken, are not given. The same information was collected in 1911, with one important addition: married women were required to state the number of years they had been married, the number of children born alive, and the number of children still living. Unfortunately, widows were not required to give this information, although a good number obliged in any case. Only the initials, not the full names, of policemen and inmates of mental hospitals are recorded.

You can find much other valuable information (including information NOT destroyed by natural disasters or government edicts) at:

    "http://www.ballaratgenealogy.org.au/lnkukeng.htm" (without the quotes)
    or Click Here.

You'll notice, when you're at this site, that you are looking at information about England, which is coming to you from a site in Australia, which you are viewing on a computer in America. That's the power of the Internet!!

These sites contain many the major sources of information available in various parts of the present or former United Kingdom and also references to less well known information sources both in Ireland and elsewhere. At each of these sites, you will find many links that will take you to other items and resources that will help you.

I'd better stop now, before the Society runs out of paper. We'll continue our look at foreign census data next month and, hopefully, we'll get to the American census and Social Security information I thought I was going to write about this month!!! Until then, take care, my friends and good will to all who read this (and to everyone, everywhere, for that matter!). May all your days be filled with joy.

Byron C. Bray
byron.bray@cmug.com