All Census Dates

[admin]

There has been a census every ten years since 1801, excluding 1941. However, only those that date from 1841 are of real value to the UK family historian. The administration of the early census returns 1801-1831 was the responsibility of the Overseers of the Poor and the clergy.

Most of these early returns were unfortunately destroyed, although in some isolated instances they have been preserved. The census returns for 1841 were the first to be kept and, as far as the general public is concerned, the information is released by the Public Record Office after a hundred years. For example, the public were given access to the 1891 census returns on 1 January 1992.



Dates of each census:

• 1821 - 28 May 1821 No longer exists, with a few exceptions
• 1831 - 30 May 1831 No longer exists, with a few exceptions
• 1841 - 7 June 1841
• 1851 - 30 March 1851
• 1861 - 7 April 1861
• 1871 - 2 April 1871
• 1881 - 3 April 1881
• 1891 - 5 April 1891
• 1901 - 31 March 1901 http://www.1901census.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
• 1911 - 2 April 1911 100 year closure - will be opened 1st January 2012 -
• 1921 - 19 June 1921 100 year closure
• 1931 - 26 April 1931 Destroyed during WW2
• 1939 - 29 September 1939 WW2 National Registration - 100 year closure
• 1951 - 8 April 1951 100 year closure
• 1961 - 23 April 1961 100 year closure
• 1971 - 25 April 1971 100 year closure
• 1981 - 5 April 1981 100 year closure
• 1991 - 21 April 1991 100 year closure
• 2001 - 29 April 2001 100 year closure

Earlier census was taken on the following dates (of no interest for us):

10 Mar 1801 No longer exists, with a few exceptions
27 May 1811 No longer exists, with a few exceptions

 

[Carrie]

Thanks for posting that, I'd been wondering about exact dates.

 

[lewis]

Census information : I know ireland did not have censes information untill the 1800's so how can a person look up information if they earlier than the 1800's
( birth, marriage,death ).

 

[davelambert271]

Hi all
A request for a census date from a member prompted me to re open this thread, for the information of newer members

dave

 

[Guy]

A more accurate list of census dates for England and Wales is-

CENSUS DATES

1801 March 10th/11th
1811 May 27th/28th
1821 May 28th/29th
1831 May 29th/30th
*In general, the above do not contain information of use to genealogists *

Midnight. Sun/Mon. 6/7th June.1841 (available, released in 1912)
Midnight. Sun/Mon. 30/31st March 1851 (available, released in 1912)
Midnight. Sun/Mon. 7/8th April 1861 (available)
Midnight. Sun/Mon. 2/3rd April 1871 (available)
Midnight. Sun/Mon. 3/4th April 1881 (available)
Midnight. Sun/Mon. 5/6th April 1891 (available)
Midnight. Sun/Mon. 31/1st March/April 1901 (available)
1911 Sun/Mon. April 2nd/3rd (available)
1915 Parochial Census re Aliens Act
1921 Sun/Mon. June 19th/20th (Delayed due to a miners dispute)
1931 Sun/Mon. April 26th/27th (England & Wales records lost to fire, Scottish records still exist)
*National Registration 1939 29/30th Sept. (except service personnel for ID cards) Available if subject is deceased
1941 (No census taken due to war)
1951 09th April (Mon.)
1961 24th April (Mon.)
1971 26th April (Mon.)
1981 06th April (Mon.)
1991 22th April (Mon.)
2001 29/30th April (Sun./Mon.)​

Cheers
Guy

 

[pramclub]

In another thread, someone mentioned searching for census info that was missing for that particular district ( http://www.forum.familyhistory.uk.com/showthread.php?p=66581#post66581 ).

Is there a list of missing census data?

TIA