The Nosey Genealogist

So, like thousands of other family historians, I’ve had a look around the 1911 census records for my ancestors. I’ve seen the crystal clear images that for the first time show the actual schedule, rather than the enumerator’s book as all the previously digitally published census had been.

With the 1911 we are able to see the household filled out in our ancestor’s own hand. Or in the case of my great-great-grandfather’s household in Paignton Devon, in my great-aunt’s hand.

It would seem that, in the Thorne household, Great-Aunty Winnie was chosen by the family to fill out the official form, rather than it being done by her Father, the head of the household. I am speculating a bit here, but I wonder if this decision may have been taken on the grounds that her employment made her ideal, in the eyes of the family, to complete the document to the authorities satisfaction. She would be more used to official documents than her parents and her brothers as Eveline Winifred Thorne, 18, has listed herself as a Seasonal Assistant in the Post Office. This was the start of a career that I believe would take her on to become a Post Mistress, in time.

My Grandfather, 16, was a public librarian in 1911; which I never knew and may explain why I have loved books so much that I have spent 20 years as a partner in owning a bookshop!

The 1911 census, available at www.1911census.co.uk is a fascinating set of documents. It was taken at a time when life expectancy for women was a mere 54, as opposed to 82 today and was only 50 for men, compared with 74 nowadays! The richest 1% of the population held 70% of the nation’s wealth while today a quarter of the population account for the same share. Domestic Service was the biggest employer, followed by Agriculture and then Coal mining. More people were to be found in houses than today as lodgers and visitors swelled the occupation of homes revealing a different society to today’s.

At The National Archives the 1911 census is said to take up 2.5 kilometres of shelf space and is larger than those that went before. Its release early (98 years after it was taken instead of the usual 100years) is down to a freedom of information ruling that, as long as the sensitive data relating to mental state was blanked out until 2012, it could be published early as it is not protected by the Census Act.

I am going back to look for other branches of the family now.

20th December 2008

The 1911 census is going to be made available on-line in 2009, earlier than the 100 year rule would normally have allowed. Under the Freedom of Information the government is allowing it to be released early, but with the sensitive data about mental condition blanked out. Already, as an early Christmas 2008 present, some people are being invited to test the beta version of the 1911 census site to give feedback on how it works.

The exciting thing with this census is that we will be able to see the actual return written in the handwriting of one of the household members!

I can hardly wait to get a look.