Census Information
Census returns are amongst the most useful sources of historical information about families and individuals.
The first official census of England and Wales was undertaken in 1801 and one has been taken every ten years since, except in wartime.
From 1801 up to 1831 it was only taken for statistical purposes and details of individuals were not recorded. This was not done until 1841, making this census the first one of any real use to family historians.
The 1841 census lists the names of every inhabitant of each household, but the information listed is fairly basic. Other than names, the details provided include occupations and whether or not the person was born in the county in which they are living. Ages are given, but anyone over 15 usually has their age rounded down to the nearest 5 years.
From 1851 more details appear, including relationship to the head of the household, marital status, exact ages and exact place of birth. The later censuses gradually record more information concerning employment status and the size of individual houses.
The census returns for 1841-1901 are available on microfiche at some libraries. The libraries listed below hold census returns for their local area.
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Biddulph
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Brewood
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Burntwood
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Burton
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Cannock
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Cheadle
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Eccleshall
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Kidsgrove
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Kinver
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Leek
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Lichfield
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Newcastle
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Rugeley
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Stafford
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Stone
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Tamworth
Census returns for the county can also be viewed on microfiche at Staffordshire Record Office.||
The 1911 Census is available online at www.1911census.co.uk||.
The site is pay per view, either by debit or credit card, or by voucher, which you can buy at libraries in Burton, Cannock, Leek, Lichfield, Newcastle, Stafford and Tamworth.
For more information, visit the webpages for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Archive Service.||
Free access to ancestry.co.uk
Your Library offers free access to Ancestry.co.uk.||
This is generally considered to be the leading genealogy resource on the internet and provides access to a vast range of genealogical resources, including the census for England and Wales for 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901.
Access to
Ancestry.co.uk|| is usually by paid subscription, but it is available free of charge at Your Library and as a library member , you can access
Ancestry.co.uk|| for free by using your Library Card number and PIN.
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