England Census Records -- Finding and Using the Originals and Copies

England England Census

Census Records at Repositories in England
The original census records are housed at The National Archives of the UK at Kew, west of London, England. Considering the fragile condition of the original records, they are closed to the public except in special cases. The records have been microfilm and have also been digitized, and the images as well as indexes are available online.

Microfilm copies of census records are available at many archives, libraries, and other record repositories. The Family History Library edition of the international subscription to www.ancestry.com is available for free use at the London England Hyde Park Family History Centre.

Census Records at the Family History Library
The Family History Library has online subscriptions to various websites that give access to indexes (and sometimes images) of the census records for 1841 through 1911, and provides that access free-of-charge to library patrons. It also has microfilm copies of the census for 1841 through 1891. The film numbers are listed in the Family History Library Catalog by using the Place Search for the name of the parish and the topic of Census. They are also listed in the following library source:


 * Index of Place-names Showing the Library Microfilm Numbers for the 1841–1891 Census of England, Wales, Isle of Man, and Channel Islands. Salt Lake City, Utah, USA: Family History Library, 1999. (FHL book 942 X2pi, 1999; also on microfiche 6024509.)

An extension of the library are the Family History Centers located around the world. Anyone can borrow microfilm copies of census through the family history centers. Some large centers may also have subscriptions to websites that provide online access to the census.

Census Indexes in the pre-Internet age
The library has a excellent collection of printed census indexes that have been created by family history societies in England. In the British Reference area of the library is a Census Surname Index register that lists all of the printed surname indexes the library has for each county. This register is not available in family history centers, but the printed indexes are listed in the Family History Library Catalog by using the Place Search for the name of the parish, and by using the Author Search for the name of the family history society that published the index.  

For printed surname indexes that are not at the Family History Library, look in:


 * Gibson, Jeremy, and Elizabeth Hampson, Editors. Marriage and Census Indexes for Family Historians. 8th ed. Baltimore [Maryland] : Genealogical Pub. Co., c2001. (FHL book 942 D27gjh,)

There are a few pre-1841 census records that survive. For a list, see:


 * Chapman, Colin R. Pre-1841 Censuses &amp; Population Listings in the British Isles. 5th ed. Dursley, England: Lochin Publishing, c1998. (FHL book 942 X27cc.)

How to Search the Family History Library Catalog for Census
To find microfilm numbers listed in the Family History Library Catalog, for the census of a town of interest to you, use the Place Search for the parish and click on the link for the topic of Census. If Census is not listed among the topics for that parish, it is probably part of a city. Search using the city name. You should look in a gazetteer to determine the parish where your town is located.