07 November 2024
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The 1921 Census was made available to the public in January 2022, and immediately became a vital resource for family historians, offering a snapshot of households in post-WWI Britain. Find out how to get the most from this resource with our comprehensive guide to the 1921 Census.
Providing detailed demographic data, the 1921 Census highlights family structures, occupations, and residential locations, giving a vital insight into this remarkable period in our history.
Quick links to the 1921 Census guide
- 1921 Census frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- Searching the 1921 Census
- Further reading on the 1921 Census
- Get more family tree advice with the Family Tree newsletter
Get the answers to many of your questions in this quick video guide…
1921 Census frequently asked questions (FAQs)
When did the 1921 Census become available?
FindMyPast was chosen as the commercial partner for The National Archives to make the 1921 census available online. They captured digital images and transcribed the records to allow researchers to explore the information.
The online release for the 1921 Census for England and Wales was 6 January 2022, via FindMyPast. The census was taken on 19 June 1921 and records information on almost 38 million individuals.
Where can I see the 1921 England and Wales Census?
On-site access to the census will initially be available at the National Archives in Kew, as well as at regional hubs in Manchester and as National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth.
Will Ancestry get the 1921 Census?
For the foreseeable future, online access is available only via FindMyPast. However, in line with previous census releases, Ancestry may in due course also offer the census to its members.
Can I view the 1921 Census for free?
You can access the census for free via the hubs detailed above.
How much does it cost to access the 1921 Census for England and Wales?
You need to register for an account Findmypast, and will also need to pay additional pay-per-view fees of £2.50 to view a transcript, £3.50 to view an original image. If you have a Pro subscription to Findmypast, then you will receive a 10% discount on the pay-per-view fees.
Which countries does the 1921 Census include?
The collection released on 6 January 2022 covers England and Wales. The 1921 Census for Scotland will become available to search later in 2022. The 1921 for Ireland was never taken due to the events surrounding the Irish War of Independence.
How many people were enumerated for England and Wales?
37,885,242 persons; 18,082,220 males and 19,803,022 females (Histpop. Part II, statistical notes, p. vii)
What information does the 1921 Census for England and Wales contain?
This census is the most informative yet for family historians.
New information not available on previous censuses includes:
- Place of employment
- Industry in which employed
- Materials worked with
- Name of employer
- Marital status for those 15 or older (with ‘divorce’ as a status for the first time on the census)
- Details of whether or not parents still alive for those under 15
- Whether the person spoken an additional language (for returns in Isle of Man and Wales)
Were different questions asked for the 1921 Census (in comparison with previous surveys)?
Yes quite a few!
- Ages were given in years and months.
- Those aged 15 or over were asked whether they were single, married or divorced (divorce had not been specified as an option in previous census decades).
- Details of employer and place of work were enquired about, as the answers were hoped to shed light on how far people were travelling to work, and what their transport requirements would be.
- The ‘famous’ fertility question of the 1911 Census was removed. Rather than asking for the duration of marriage and the age of the children, simply the number and ages of living children under 16 were required.
- Those aged 15 or under were asked to specify if one or both of their parents had died, and if just one, which one.
- The disability question was also absent from the 1921 Census, as it was deemed an unreliable means of obtaining accurate information.
Why isn’t there a 1931 Census for England and Wales?
On the night of Saturday 19 December 1942 the Office of Works, Hayes, Middlesex caught fire – seemingly from an accidentally discarded cigarette (not enemy action, which might be supposed from the 1942 date), which smouldered with disastrous consequences, despite there being six firewatchers on duty at the location that night.
The Office of Works was the location at which all of the 1931 Census records for England and Wales were stored. The fire raged to such an extent that there were no records deemed worth salvaging at the time as a consequence.
How did the Scottish 1931 Census records survive?
They were stored in Edinburgh, so avoided the conflagration that destroyed the English and Welsh census.
Searching the 1921 Census
How to do a basic search of the 1921 Census
Note: you do not need a subscription to Findmypast in order to use the 1921 Census and you do not need to take out a 14 day free trial. You do need to register with the website however.
Once you are logged in you will be able to conduct searches at no charge.
Note that when searching you are entering the year of birth, but the ‘Where’ field is not for place of birth. The ‘Where’ field is for you to enter the place in which you expect the person to be in 1921.
The search results give a detailed combination of facts to help you determine whether the entry is correct before you decide to buy a full transcription or the digitised image of the original page. This is an example of the search results above.
The details include: first name(s), last name, birth year, place of birth, and the name of the parish, registration district and county where the person was living in 1921.
How to do an advanced search of the 1921 Census
If our example above we searched for Robert Henry Adams, and there were 321 results. The advanced search provides numerous fields that you may use to narrow down your search results.
In this instance we have only included an occupation ‘artificial limb’ – and immediately we have cut the list down to just one result. The advanced search provides numerous ways in which you can make your list of search results more precise to your search interest.
To find out more, payment for the transcription or digitised image is required.
What you can see once you’ve paid
The details on the transcription for Robert Henry Adams, ‘artificial limb' maker, tell us that he was in the employment of C. Blatchford. Blatchford Prosthetics (www.blatchford.co.uk) is a Victorian company that is still in business today. In 1921 it is very likely that its clients included injured service personnel.
The prices are £2.50 to purchase the transcription and £3.50 for the digitised image (Pro subscribers to Findmypast have free access to the 1921 Census for England and Wales as part of their subscription (as of 11 October 2022); regular subscribers receive no discount).
It’s not just an image – it’s images
In addition to the household image, the £3.50 fee includes the front of the census form (on which you’ll find the address), the cover of the form (on which you will find the series and piece number), contemporary maps, details and plans of division (which comprise details similar to the enumerator’s description in earlier census returns). To find the image of the front and the image of the cover, whilst looking at the household image page click on ‘Extra (Address)’ – found near the bottom right-hand corner of the window.
Note: The address is found on the image of the front of the form, not on the household image page (which we are used to expect from the 1911 Census of England and Wales for instance).
How to do an address search
From the basic search, select the green tab to search by address.
Enter the street name and location.
From the list of search results, select a street and click through to reveal a list of house names or house numbers. This can be a useful way of determining how many households were living at an address. To find out more, payment for a transcription or image is required.
Note that the addresses you may search for in the 1921 Census of England and Wales include institutions, ships and places in the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
How to find the piece number for a 1921 Census record
The piece numbers can be located in a few ways:
If you have bought a census image, you’ll find the piece numbers on the cover of the form (see above, scrawled in large handwriting RG15/2086) - and the piece number is also included in the file name of the image download.
If you’ve bought a transcription, you’ll find the piece number transcribed there.
How to create a census reference for a 1921 Census record
Use the piece number and add the household schedule number at the end.
For census images you’ll find the household schedule number [No. of schedule.] in the top right-hand corner of the census household page. In this instance, it's 182.
For census transcriptions you’ll find the piece number and household schedule number included in the transcription.
How to use RD codes to help identify a place
For instance, you can use the Registration District and Sub-District code to work out a county name if this has not been included on your set of household census images.
Find a list of Registration District and Sub-District codes here.
Further reading
- Why was the 1921 Census for England & Wales postponed?
- Top five occupations at the time of the 1921 Census for England and Wales
- 1921 Census for England & Wales - fascinating facts
- Census unearthed: widows and orphans in 1921
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