Census
If you know roughly where your ancestors lived between 1841 and
1901, census returns can provide you with further detail.
What information will I find?
- Arranged by place, they contain an entry for every household
which includes details of name, age, occupation, place of
birth
and relationship to each other (from 1851) for every person present
on the night of the census.
- Returns were taken every 10 years (except 1941) and first taken
in 1801, but names of individuals were not included until
1841.
- Census returns are closed to the public for 100 years.
How do I find my ancestors on the census?
- Local indexes of surnames and streets have been compiled for
some years and places. The 1881 census and 1901 census are the only
returns with a complete, national index.
Where will I find the census returns?
- Copies of the census for 1841-1901 for all counties in England
and Wales are available at the The National Archives
Census Pages.
- Record Offices and many libraries hold copies of the census
returns for their county or local area
- Our People's Network computers in the searchroom can access the
library version of Ancestry.com, so you can access the census for
1841-1901 free of charge
Useful Links
The 1881 census for England and Wales is available free at:
Information about the background to the census and practical
advice on using the census returns:
Cheshire Links
Census returns for the ancient county of Cheshire (including the
Wirral and the parts of Cheshire now in Greater Manchester) are
available on microfilm at The Record Office
The Family History Society of
Cheshire has produced a CD copy of the 1851 and 1871 census
returns for Cheshire. These are searchable by name and place and
are available from the Society, at the Record Office and some
libraries, along with some paper indexes for other census years
Some Libraries hold census returns on
microfilm for their local area.