General Chat

For those interested a link to the 1801 Census.

What towns/villages that are available probably on microfiche at local CRO's.

http://www.1911census.org.uk/1801.Htm

The 1921 Census, the questions your Grandparents had to answer.

http://www.1921census.org.uk/

Edit for my last post.....1941......sorry Ann... ;-)

Looking at the forms Mr. M posted, I remember filling in the 2011 form but my memory must be terrible (old age creeping on) as I have no recollection of the previous forms - and I should have filled them in from 1971. We never go on holiday so there wouldn't be any excuse for not filling them in. I probably did but have just forgotten!!

Kath. x :-S

Handy link, Mr M.
Looking at the forms, I filled them in from 1991, ex must have filled in the 1981 one, he being (allegedly) the 'head' of the household :-D
1971 I was still a schoolgirl, so presume mum filled it in.

Ann wasn't born in 1841 Mr M! :-0 :-D

Andysmum, yes there was a 'security' (ha ha) door but non residents had no difficulty getting in. I would have thought questions would have been asked if no-one received a form. Bit naughty! :-0
I'm not bothered as I must have been unaware of it at the time. I'm just intrigued.

One further thought, Island. Did your block of flats have a security door on the ground floor? Some of those were incredibly difficult to get into, because you had to ring every bell until someone was willing to open the door for you!! I used to hope for a resident coming in or out so that I could grab the door before it shut! :-(

Had there been one I would have been on the 1941 so ye I will be in the 1951 I was 10 at the time of the census in my last year at primary school.

There wasn't an 1841 Census Ann because of WW2.

1921 is the next available Census. 1931 got burnt during the Blitz on London in WW2.

1951 is the next one available.

I'll be on the 1941 census!! :-D

Rest assured Island........someone will be looking for you.... :-)

This link has links to the Census questions for previous Census.

https://census.ukdataservice.ac.uk/use-data/censuses/forms

Will anyone be looking by then? :-S

Looks like Island will be that elusive really that you can't find in 2091 & 2101.

;-) :-S

Ah ha.... You make an interesting point Andysmum! I was living in the same large block of flats for 1991/01/11 so I wonder if the '91 and '01 forms were just dumped at the ground floor? :-0 and perhaps I was out (twice!) when they were collected?
Perhaps not because word would have got round. On the other hand, people don't talk in blocks of flats :-(

2011 was different as not only did we all get the forms through the door but we could fill it in online. I filled in the hard copy and kept for my own reference.

Thanks for you comments, much appreciated.

Island, you have a point there. I don't know about 1991, but in 2001 we had to knock on the door and hand over the form to whoever answered the door. This could have been anything up to three weeks before census day, depending where your address was on my route.

If there was no reply a second visit was made, probably about a week later, and if there was still no reply, a neighbour might be asked if the house was occupied, and the name of the occupier. A form would then be put through the letter box.

We started with a list of addresses supplied by the Post Office, which wasn't always accurate. I added, altered and deleted several on my list, but I'm pretty sure I got everyone - eventually. However, I do know that different areas did things differently, and also that not everyone was as conscientious as I was. The enumerator in the area next to mine didn't know where the boundary was, so some of my properties had two forms and some of hers got missed!! The area manager wasn't happy as he had to go and get them at the end!!

My guess, and it is only a guess, is that your house is not obviously a separate dwelling. I can't think of any other reason why it would happen twice.

Andysmum, I know.
I find it very hard to believe that I wouldn't have had the form through my letter box and more than a weekend to fill it in and return it. Twice. Are you saying that in1991 and 2001 the first we saw of a census form was when an enumerator turned up at the door with pen in hand to fill it there and then?

I haven't really had difficulty finding ancestors on a census but I did find the same family living in two different counties - they moved on the census weekend.

Island, a census is a people count, and if a property is empty on census day it is noted as such. It is done on a Sunday to try and avoid people being away at work, but lots of people are away for the weekend, and do not appear where you expect them to.

I have several ancestors, and I'm sure you have too, who have turned up on the census visiting relatives. Not always easy to find!!

Andysmum, at that time of year I wouldn't have been away for more than a few days. Surely I should have had a form or notification through my letterbox? :-S

How would someone else be responsible for my property? I was 'head of household' :-S

I think I'm a figment of my own imagination. :-0

island, were you away on holiday? If so, it would have been filled in by whoever was responsible for that particular dwelling.

Goodness knows who filled in my census forms prior to 2011 :-S

I was a home owner for the previous two and flat shared before that.

Do I exist? :-S :-S