The 1901 Census for England and Wales has much to interest researchers from the USA, including research into ancestors from England or Wales, properties (including historic houses), vessels, workhouses and specialised demographics research.
In addition to those born in England and Wales there were over 27,000 people who were recorded as having been born in the USA, 10,000 in Canada, 400,000 in Ireland and 306,000 in Scotland. This article provides an insight into the information available and the kind of research that can be completed, most of it online.
In England and Wales the first census was in 1801 although it was only from 1841 that they became more than just headcounts. Censuses have been taken every 10 years, with one missed in 1941.
Accessing the 1901 Census
The main use of the data is for family history research, though many users are interested to see who was living in a particular property in 1901 using the address search feature. Institutions such as workhouses are included. The 1901 census also has all the ships of the Royal Navy and any merchant vessels that were in port at the time of the census (31st March 1901) — a total of 9567. At the time approximately half of the ships in the world were registered in Britain.
The 1901 Census is avaliable on Findmypast.com and Ancestry.com.
Anatomy of the Census
The enumeration pages themselves may need some explanation. The enumerator was the person who collected the information and wrote it in the enumerator books. There were many enumerators. These books were then checked and there are sometimes marks and changes on the pages.
There were 12 page types in the 1901 Census; the first four pages are free to view.
- Urban Enumeration Volume: front page of an enumeration volume.
- Miscellaneous free pages: e.g. notes, instructions, sketch maps
- Description of Enumeration District: includes boundary description.
- Summary of civil parishes: details of parishes covered by the book
- Abstract of totals: statistical details for the area covered.
- First page of person details. Details of the households.
- Description of institution.: front page of institution details
- Abstract of totals: Statistics for institution or vessel
- First page of person details (Institution): Details of the people
- Description of Vessel: front page of vessel details
- First page of Person details (vessel): Details of the people
- People not on board: Ships company not on board on census night.
The household details (type 6) are the most used pages. These contain a header with the name of the parish and other location descriptors followed by the entries for each household. These include:
- The street/road and house name or number,
- Whether the property was occupied or not
- Name and surname of each person
- Relation to head of family
- Condition as to Marriage
- Age last Birthday
- Profession or occupation
- Employer, worker or own account.
- If working at home
- Where born
- Infirmity
- Language Spoken (For Wales only)
Statistical Projects with Census Data
Other census data can also be found online for England and Wales including 1861—1911. .
Academics and other specialists are undertaking interesting research using the census. One project (at King’s College London) is researching all the people who were recorded in the census as being born in Australia — approximately 16,000. Though much is known about emigration to Australia little research has been undertaken on immigrants from Australia living in England & Wales. This research is believed to be unique. Similar data could also be provided to a research project on the 27,000 plus residentss who were recorded as born in America.
Occupations can provide an interesting field of study and requests have been received for several occupations. One such request was for information on all the people with ‘professional footballer’ as their occupation. Many of the footballers had two occupations e.g. “Brewer and professional footballer.”
Some of the most popular occupations included in the census were:
- General Labourer
- Dressmaker
- Domestic servants
- Farmers and agricultural workers
- A few of the more unusual occupations were:
- Breeze Washer (133 of these were recorded)
- Gun Barrel Filer
- Hat Planker
- Silk Doffer
- Match Box Filler
- Cocoa Maker
- Ironworker Puddler
Those researching individual surnames have also made special requests, e.g. to extract all the results of people with the surname ‘Hepden’ and its variants. Anyone can undertake this specialist research, the first step is to fill in a ‘Research Assist’ form from the website.
The website is simple to use and the following guide will help to overcome some of the common obstacles found when searching. The first section provides guidance to undertake basic online searching for people then researching properties is discussed.
Searching for People
Several famous people are captured in the 1901 census, including Charles Chaplin, who, at the age of 12, was staying along with several other 'Music Hall Artistes' in the Jackson household in Lambeth.
Occasionally a person may not be found. This could be because:
- The person was not in England or Wales (he may have been abroad);
- The search details entered did not match the transcription details held on the person.
- Sometimes this is due to errors made at the time the image was transcribed (even though the data was checked).
- A small percentage of the names and other data are classed as unreadable. This is caused by the sometimes poor handwriting of the enumerator.
- There are also people recorded without surnames, they may have simply been known as Sarah and that would have been sufficient in a small village.
In order to maximise the integrity of the transcribed details one of the rules followed was to accurately record what was seen in the census image. This can mean that the census information may be different to that stated in other relevant documentation, e.g. a birth certificate may indicate an age that is different to that recorded in the census simply because the census will have the age as stated at the time. The data is still being improved today via census data amendment requests and the same rules are rigorously applied.
Researching a Property
Finding out the details of who occupied a property in 1901 can be intriguing. The census can also be used to investigate neighbouring properties.
In essence you can take an imaginary walk down a street in 1901 and experience some of the aspects of life as seen through the eyes of the enumerator. It can prove challenging to find some addresses as detective work may be needed. The address may not have been recorded as expected as there have been many address changes as parish and county boundaries may have altered.
As with person search, address search often provides results if you minimise the search criteria. If searching for an address such as 14 Warwick Road then it is best to try 14 Warwick (and if that fails leave off the number). This is because the enumerator may have written Road as Rd, or it may have been a Lane at the time. Some town names have also changed. For example, Dolgellau (a town in Wales) was known as Dolgelley in 1901. You may need to research the locations but luckily there are gazetteers and old maps to help – many are available online.
Researching a location such as a village or a town provides insight into the local community and can be linked to school projects or historic events.
Conclusion
In summary, the 1901 Census is an excellent resource for family historians, people researching an address, and academics. Searching online is free and can be used for people, addresses, vessels, and more.
Specialist research can also be undertaken. Examples include researching occupations, demographics, places and people.
If you are interested in conducting further research into UK-based records, The National Archives is an excellent starting point. You can search online for information, including census records, World War I medal winners, and can even check if your ancestors served in the Battle of Trafalgar. Take a look at their website for further information.
This 1901 Census record for Windsor Castle was found by using the “Institution Search” feature. Listed are King Edward (Edward R&I [King and Emperor] –occupation “The King”), several of his grandchildren and other family members, as well as visitors and servants. Curiously, Queen Alexandra is not listed as present in the household at the time the count was taken.
by Kevin Tibbetts
Census Manager, United Kingdom National Archives
© 2011 The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society
Last revised: April 2017
All rights reserved.