England and Wales Census, 1891 - FamilySearch Historical Records

 England  Wales

What is in the Collection?
The 1891 census taken on the night of 5 April 1891 gave the total population as 33,015,701.

Census schedules consist of large sheets with preprinted rows and columns. The schedules are arranged by county and then divided by civil parish, while some are further subdivided into smaller enumeration districts, each district being an area that could be enumerated in a day. Enumerators went door to door collecting the data in census books. Censuses taken between 1851 and 1931 were conducted on a single day, sometime between March 31 and April 8. The census takers listed only those who spent the night in each household, so individuals who were traveling or at school were listed where they spent the night. Almost all the residents of England are included in the census. Noncitizens were also included.

Census records are a good source to use as you search for your relatives. Use census records to help you find the age of your ancestor, as well as birthplace, occupation, and address. The records can also help you define relationships between individuals.

Image Visibility
Whenever possible, FamilySearch makes images available for all users. However, rights to view images on our website are granted by the record custodians.

These images can be viewed online by members of the supporting organization(s), at a Family History Center near you, or the Family History Library. They are also viewable to users who are part of FindMyPast, or who have contributed to the FamilySearch Indexing effort. Learn how to be a part of FamilySearch Indexing here.

For additional information about image restrictions, please see the Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections page.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The 1891 Census forms asks for the following information:
 * Name
 * Gender
 * Age
 * Marital status
 * Relationship to the Head of Household
 * Occupation
 * Birthplace
 * Physical limitations
 * Address
 * (The index shows and estimated year of birth based on the age given)

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search in the census, it would be helpful if you knew the person's name and the time period when he or she lived.

To search this collection by name: Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * You may have to read around marks made by the clerks who compiled the census data. These marks sometimes obscure the information.
 * Accept the ages with caution.
 * Given names may not be the same as a name recorded in church or vital records.
 * The information may be incorrect.
 * Names may be spelled phonetically (or as they sounded to the census taker).
 * Place-names may be misspelled.
 * Individuals missing from a family may be listed elsewhere in the census.
 * All members of a family living in the same household will be listed together. When you find your family in one census, search earlier or later censuses to find additional family members and to verify details.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.


 * Collection Citation:

Top of Page