Census 1921

[Whyperion]

Cannot remember which website has the (paid) access for the 1921 census (19 June 1921 , England and Wales, 38 million persons) but the BBC have picked out a few interesting notes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59879470

For many of us 1921 if not in , or close to, our own memory, it will be for those that we have known in the not too distant past. What the census might give is the truth behind some of family tales, or finding a falsehood told to us. Hopefully it should help fill in some of the gaps and queries that folk have had in family issues with the sheds and mills of the lancashire area. My own near in generations families I have a fair information from trade and postal directories and electoral registers, family sizes had started getting smaller compared with the 1800s and work and employment had started to be more technical and service industries compared to earlier years of grafting, but a good few had even by 1920 emigrated away to the US, Canada, New Zealand. Would I also be right in saying that unusually for an after war time there were lower numbers of births 1918-1922 ish , as returning servicemen were still in trauma from the war itself, and women had established their place in a workplace.

[Tripps]

I've been holding fire on this with a view to seeing how things pan out on the Findmypast 1921 census site

I find that in addition to the subscription, viewing the details of the 1921 Census is an 'extra'. I've logged in from a previous registration, and find that the addresses I'm interested in are there, but it costs £2.50 to see each transcription, or £3.50 to see the original document. They show a little 'teaser' with both options, of some household members, so at least you can see if you have the right house.

Reviews I've seen show that many are not impressed by the additional cost, and regret joining. I would agree, and will wait a while - it can only get cheaper. Perhaps they will change the charging model, and do a better deal.

[Whyperion]

Dont know if our public libraries have a free access to the findmypast website covering this extension. I suppose you can still go equipped to Kew to see the records on local servers there

[Gloria]

I have a sub on ancestry so I shall wait until it comes on there, later in the year I believe.

[Wendyf]

It doesn't make any difference to the charges having a subscription to Findmypast Gloria, I have a pro subscription which gives me 25p off the £2.50 charge. I can't see Ancestry being able to give free access either.

[Gloria]

I’m not desperate for the 1921. Do libraries have free access to findmypast as they do ancestry?

[Gloria]

Looks like they do
https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/libraries ... ry/?page=5

[Tizer]

Our Somerset Libraries have free access to Ancestry using the PCs in the libraries. During lockdown they also gave free access through their web site when logged in as a member. Very useful, but it went when lockdown ended.

[Wendyf]

I can't see how they will cope with the charging system, but will no doubt find out if I start going back into Colne Library on a regular basis! Groups are allowed to meet there again now but it won't be easy to help people if you can't sit beside them....

[Whyperion]

I can't see how they will cope with the charging system, but will no doubt find out if I start going back into Colne Library on a regular basis! Groups are allowed to meet there again now but it won't be easy to help people if you can't sit beside them....

Set up a pop up chat program on the computers - not certain which works best, is there one in Google or Yahoo ?

[Tripps]

Set up a pop up chat program on the computers

I'm puzzled (again) - how does that affect the payment?

[Whyperion]

misquoted in error - I meant use chat in the library to help other people rather than standing over their shoulders !

[Tripps]

I see. Thanks for explaining. Makes sense -even to me - now.

[Wendyf]

The people we usually help are those who don't want to use computers themselves and like us to do the research for them. Those who use the library computers are helped by the library staff and those who bring in their own laptops and are prepared to have a go themselves are easy to assist at a distance.

[Whyperion]

Historical Research helping cannot always be straightforward. what you bring is a navigation around the system, and depending whom one is looking for , some prior knowledge of the name or the area may come up, even things like knowing what the enumeration district or parish in the past was called and under which church or civil higher administration is helpful. For me being in London I was able, when I had limited free time - normally over the Christmas work break, was to get off to Kew for national records ( and the previous family history center in Islington near the Mount Pleasant Mail Centre ), finding the correct microflim for a census return was fun, and even the online images of the older ones can be difficult to see, the index books to civil birth etc registration rarely gave a full clue as to if one had the correct marriage etc, and even a birth certificate copy sometimes gave little extra information. Marriage certificates tended to be more helpful, as things like witness names could assist in family relationships - or not if it were the two churchwardens or whomever.

I would agree with the presence of the 1911 census, and the fairly robust civil registration- even indexes where the maiden name of a mother started to be included , that the 1921 census may have less additional usefulness for present researches, but it fills in gaps, may allow strays to be found, and will show the 'Downton' experience as the big house estate loose staff to the late war and the city work in the age of the internal combustion engine vehicle.