UK Census Search

1851

Censuses have been conducted in the UK every ten years since 1801 (with the exception of 1941, due to World War II). Between 1801 and 1831, they were mainly used to report on headcounts and did not contain any personal information of any value to family history research. In 1841, the General Register Office conducted the first census that recorded the names of everyone in a household or institution. Birthplaces and relationships to the head of the household were not recorded, although it was noted whether the person was born in the place they were currently living and relationships can sometimes be inferred from the occupation. Ages were recorded for anyone under the age of 15 but older individuals often had their ages rounded down to the nearest five years. Since 1851, census records have shown the exact age and birthplace of each individual and have also included their relationship to the head of household. Information found in census records is not always accurate, so misspellings and other errors can often cause problems for family history research. Each census is not made available to the public until 100 years after it was conducted.

The census records available on this website have been compiled using original images and online resources, meaning that some census records have much more information than others. Where possible, families have been linked together across census records so that you can trace them more easily.


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