A census was taken every 10 years, from 1841. The most recent census that is available for public inspection is the 1911 census. The 1921 census should become available in 2022. A census was taken in 1931, but was destroyed by fire in 1942.

No census was taken in 1941, because of the war –but a National Identity Register, containing similar information, was compiled in 1939. This Register is available from the National Archives, and by subscription from a number of family history websites. Details of persons in the Register who are still alive are deliberately obscured.

The census returns were taken on the following dates:

1841 – 6 June

1851 – 30 March

1861 – 7 April

1871 – 2 April

1881 – 3 April

1891 – 5 April

1901 – 31 March

1911 – 2 April

1939 National Identity Register – 29 September.

Census enumerators were paid, volunteers. Their standards of recording vary dramatically; many mistakes were made, including the omission of complete households or individual residents. Records were dependent upon what householders told the enumerators – name spellings are haphazard, as are ages. The handwriting is often difficult to decipher – a handwriting guide is included in the collection to assist (Below). 

Ages of adults in the 1841 census were rounded down to the last 5 years, whereas ages of children purported to be exact.  Birthplaces that year were restricted to whether or not “in this county”, but from 1851 they were usually precise, with county and town.

JPEG images of the census collection for each year are preceded by a Word file summarising the returns – most significantly the order (of streets) in which the enumerator went around the district.

The JPEG images may be printed, but blank census sheets are also included in the collection for printing off and filling in by hand.

Searches of the census returns – by name, age, place of birth & place of residence – may be made on the family history subscription sites. The subscription site Ancestry is available for free in most public libraries – including Bawtry Community Library. Very limited searches can also be made on these free sites – www.freecen.org.uk & https://ukcensusonline.com