Genes Reunited Blog

In May of this year we launched the 1911 census Enumerator Summary Books. This was the first time that our members were able to access any records from the 1911 census and the first time that a census included intimate questions to the population that put their lives in context.

In 1801 details were collected about the head of the household, but nothing about other occupants in the household was recorded. This continued every ten years until 1841, when on the 6th June everyone in each household was asked their name, age, occupation and birthplace. At each census taken thereafter, additional questions were asked to gain better insight into the inhabitants of the country. All of these details were recorded by an Enumerator, who went from door to door, street to street collecting the information.

The 1911 census was conducted on the 2nd April and asked additional specific questions about work, marriage and children in the house - how many born alive and how many had died. It was also the first time that the head of the household was able to complete the census themselves - so you can see the actual handwriting of your ancestor!

In our first release of the 1911 census you could look at the record transcriptions - so you could easily see the details below clearly and be able to learn more about your ancestor.

We also held the enumerator summary books so you could see the street view of where your ancestor lived. This was helpful in adding context to your ancestors lives, and visualising the street they lived on.

Now you are able to view an image of the actual record that your ancestor wrote - showing their handwriting:

Each head of the household was responsible for detailing the full names, ages (including details about living and deceased children), occupation, birthplace and nationality. On each record you'll notice that the last column is blanked out. This column showed information about individual infirmity, for example if they were blind or deaf. As the 1911 census has been released earlier than the normal 100 year restriction, the Government felt that there was a likelihood that individuals could still be alive. Therefore any infirmity details will not be released until 100 years after the census was taken to protect the privacy of all individuals.

As the 1911 census is the most recent census available, it should make tracing your family history much much easier. A lucky few of you may have grandparents who were alive in 1911 giving you a great starting point to work backwards from. To search the records all you need is a surname. More details are very helpful when trying to narrow down your search, but the 1911 census is a great starting point for anyone embarking on their journey into family history.

You can access these records if you are a Platinum subscriber, or if you buy credits to use our pay to view option. (Pay per view is available to standard subscribers only.)