Since 1801 a Census for England and Wales (separately for Scotland) has been taken every ten years, except in 1941 due to the Second World War.
The 1841 Census was the first to list everyone in the country, although some lists of names for the earlier censuses are held for specific places.
The census records available between 1841 and 1911 are an invaluable source of information for the family historian.
Census records list all those residing at each address on Census night, including head of the household, spouse, children, other family members such as grandparents, servants or farm labourers, boarders, and any visitors. Information generally includes:
In later census records you will find questions that ask about literacy, health (physical and mental) and place of birth.
Census information prior to 1841 can be found at the National Archives (UK) website and in the book Pre-1841 Censuses and population listings in the British Isles by Colin R. Chaplin (1991).
| Below is a listing of all UK census information available at the State Library. Some of the information is in hard copy or on microfiche. The rest is available for viewing within the State Library via our subscription to Ancestory.com Library Edition. |