Census returns

What is a census?

You often hear about census returns on TV shows such as Who Do you Think You Are? as these can give family and local historians so many clues about the past.

However, they’re not just historic – think back to 2001 and you might remember completing a very long form about everyone in your house on ‘census night’: this is because (World War II aside) the census has collected full details about every resident of England and Wales since 1841 every 10 years.

Full details are closed by the Government for 100 years to protect the privacy of the people involved, although many details can now be seen for censuses up to and including 1911.

The original census returns are kept by the National Archives and have long been available in record offices, such as Whitehaven’s, on microfilm. 

A big effort has recently seen the more recent ones made available on the internet, and this has now extended to converting the Victorian returns. So pop in to the record office to see 1841-1901 free on film, or go on-line (Whitehaven Library can book you a session on www.ancestry.co.uk or www.1911census.co.uk) to check out the 1911 returns on a pay-per-view site.

As the returns always show who lived in every single household, how old they were, where they were born, and what they did for a living, it can be a great way to find out about an entire family in one fell swoop or indeed everybody living in a particular house.

Censuses captured everyone – from Queen Victoria to those in Newhouses – so have a look!

Your local Archive: Cumbria Record Office, Scotch St, Whitehaven, CA28 7NL. www.cumbria.gov.uk/archives gives further details and opening hours.