1921 Census of England and Wales goes online January 6, 2022

Mark your calendars — and count down the days.

Findmypast and The National Archives yesterday announced that the 1921 Census for England and Wales will be published online on January 6, 2022. It will only be available on Findmypast

The 1921 census was taken between two world wars, during a period of economic turmoil, and at a time when women had just won the right to vote.

It was the first census to recognize divorce and to capture people’s employment details. Individuals were asked not only about their occupations, but also their place of work, employer, and were given “Divorced” as an option for marital status.  

This highly anticipated launch is likely to be the last significant census release for England and Wales in many people’s lifetime. 

Taken once a decade, the census remains secret for 100 years before being opened to the public. The 1931 census was destroyed in a fire at the Office for Works in 1942, and the 1941 census was never captured owing to the outbreak of the Second World War.

The next census of England and Wales was taken in 1951, and it won’t be released to the public until 2052.

Neil Curtis, chief operating officer at The National Archives, said, “The 1921 Census will offer us a glimpse into the lives of individuals and communities between the wars, recovering from a great influenza pandemic, and embarking on a new era where everyday rights and roles were changing.”

Pay per view
There will be a £2.50 charge for every record transcript and £3.50 for every original record image. Findmypast did this with previous census releases.

For all 12-month Pro subscribers, there will be a 10 percent discount on any 1921 census purchases. A Pro subscription appears to be what North American’s call Findmypast’s Ultimate British and Irish subscription that includes everything they have to offer, including newspapers and American records.

These charges will cover the cost of digitizing and transcribing the more than 18 million images. It also means these records will be accessible and commitment-free for everyone, although Findmypast doesn’t explain exactly what that means.

For more than two and a half years and counting, a team of hundreds of Findmypast conservators, technicians and transcribers undertook the invaluable task of conserving, transcribing and digitizing the 1921 census in association with The National Archives and with the help and support of the Office for National Statistics. 

Only 69 more days.

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