1911 census goes online for first time
Census records from 1911 have been made available online for the first time today
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Tuesday, 13, Jan 2009 12:43
Census records from 1911 have been made available online for the first time today, providing details on some 27 million people.
The census covered England, Wales, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands plus those abroad in the armed forces.
From Tuesday 80 per cent of the English records will become available, while a further nine million records will be released over the coming months.
Such was the public's demand for the 1911 census the records were released three years earlier than scheduled.
Elaine Collins, commercial director at findmypast.com, described the census as a crucial new entry point to family history research for a wide range of people.
"As well as helping people trace their ancestors, these records shed more light on our ancestors' day-to-day lifestyles, providing a snapshot of a day in their lives, with details of their occupations, housing arrangements and social status," she said.
The census itself is massive, taking up over two kilometres of shelving, with more than 16 million digital images created in the digitisation process by the National Archives.
Oliver Morley, director of customer and business development at the National Archives, described the project as a "major achievement".
"By teaming up with findmypast.com, we are bringing history to life for millions," he said.
"This remarkable record is available online to researchers and family historians all over the world for future generations. The 1911 census is a poignant reflection of how different life was in early 20 century Britain, before the [first world war]."