This session will look at censuses that have been held every 10 years in the United Kingdom since 1801. The geography of the UK will be looked at, to identify the 4 nations, and county boundaries within. Originally, censuses were conducted as simple head counts, statistical summaries for government planning. Some differences between England, Scotland and Ireland censuses and civil registration will be looked at. We will look at the importance of utilising maps, enumerator routes, census reports, population statistics, industry, social structure, old photographs and travel writing in combination with census analysis. Compulsory official requirements for registration of births, marriages and deaths will be detailed, which, combined with census information, can reveal a lot about social history and put some meat on the bones of ancestors. A 100-year closure rule was established after the 1911 Census, so it has been very exciting to have the 1921 census revealed in January 2022. This was the first census after the First World War and Spanish Flu pandemic. The 1939 Register, originally designed for the issuing of ID cards, which can now be seen as a census substitute, will be revealed. From 1948, this register was subsequently used as the UK National Health Service (NHS) Register and updated until 1991. Finally, there will be a look at last year’s primarily online 2021 census, which included new questions about sexual orientation and gender identity.

What 3 things can people learn:

1. looking at the development of UK censuses from 1801 to present
2. combining census information, with BMD records, social history and maps
3. hints and tips about micro-analysing enumerator routes