The 1921 Census of England and Wales - Before a 30-Year Wait

The 1921 census is notable for a many reasons, the main (and sadly regrettable) one being that it is the last available census for England and Wales until that of 1951. The reason? The 1931 census (but not that of Scotland) was destroyed by fire and war put a stop to a 1941 census across all of the United Kingdom.

An Unplanned Summer Census

The 1921 census was all set to take place on 24 April, but a general strike (ultimately cancelled) meant it was postponed until the night of Sunday 19 June 1921. As a result, it was the first summer census since 6 June 1841. This means you may encounter ancestors away from home, possibly holidaying at hotels or guest houses; the seaside towns of Blackpool and Southend, for example, saw a large increase in numbers.

Note As the schedules had already been printed, don't get confused when you see 'the night of Sunday, 24 April, 1921' in the heading of column one.

New, Updated and Discarded Questions

It was conducted under the Census Act 1920, which also established the census as a decennial event. Over 38,000 enumerators distributed and collected schedules across England and Wales. More than 8.5 million households were enumerated, plus a wide range of public and private institutions. 

The household schedules asked more questions of the populace than any previous census. Amongst the new, revised and dropped enquiries were:

• Age 'In years and months' (1911 had simply asked for age last birthday).
• Marital status of those 'aged 15 and over'. 
• For divorcees, 'if marriage dissolved write 'D.''
• The 'Fertility' questions unique to 1911 were dropped. These had been aimed at married women, namely years of current marriage, children born alive and children who have died.
• Possible 'Orphanhood' for children under 15, asking if parents 'Both Alive', 'Father Dead', 'Mother Dead' or 'Both Dead'.
• 'Whole-time' or 'Part-time' if attending a school or any educational institution.
• 'State the name' and 'Give the address of each person's place of work.'
• The final 'Infirmity' column was dropped (this had been a feature since 1851) 

A Census of a Post-war and Post-pandemic Kingdom

Whilst not easy to obtain, particularly for women, divorce rates increased six-fold after the First World War. Over 16,000 people entered 'D' - namely a confirmation - in answer to the divorce question. The true figure was unquestionably higher, but due to a still existing stigma some preferred not to reveal the dissolution of a marriage (in 1921 alone about 3,500 divorces were granted). 

The basis of 'aged 15 and over' for marital status was counter to the the fact that the minimum age of marriage was then 14 for boys and 12 for girls. Clearly such young marriages were rare and considered statistically negligible. Not until the 1929 Marriage Act was the age raised to 16.

The 'Orphanhood' question was a tragic refection of the hundreds of thousands of lives lost to both the Great War and 'Spanish Flu' Pandemic. Over 730,000 children were recorded as 'Father Dead', compared to 261,000 with 'Mother Dead'. In the United Kingdom the pandemic had claimed the lives of an estimated 228,000 people. 

A 1921 household schedule. The head admitted to having
accidently stained it with disinfectant used to counter the pandemic.

The twin disasters of war and pandemic had naturally impacted the birth rate. With their passing there was a baby boom and in 1920 1.1 million babies were born.      

In 1921, England and Wales were shown to have a combined population of 37,886,699. Given the war's decimating impact, it inevitably revealed a disproportionate number between genders; the first occasion since the very first census of 1801. In England and Wales there were 19.8 million women and girls, but only 18.1 million men and boys - a disparity of 1.7 million.

In England alone there were 1,101 females to every 1,000 males, with a very pronounced imbalance amongst 20-45 years-olds. The gender difference was more pronounced amongst middle-class young women, as a higher proportion of officers had been killed compared to men from other ranks. 

Institutional data from hospitals revealed a 35% increase in the number of patients when compared to 1911. Three-quarters were men, a not unsurprising statistic given that the war had ended less than three years prior. 

During the conflict - out of obvious necessity - some women had stepped into men's work roles. With demobilisation many had reverted to traditional occupations, but a precedent had been set. A reduced male workforce, through both death and disability, meant higher female employment. More women were now working as engineers, vets, architects, barristers and solicitors. The Sex Discrimination (Removal) Act 1919 had allowed women to access law and Civil Service positions. 

Ten days after Armistice Day, on 21 November 1918, the 'Parliament (Qualification of Women Act) 1918' had received royal assent. It enfranchised women over the age of 30 who were either householders or married to a householder, or who held a university degree. 

When it came the question of educational attendance, in 1918 the school-leaving age had been raised to 14. This meant a higher percentage of children were now in education.

A boon to family historians was the new requirement to state the name and address of
one's 'present employer'.   

In consideration of the amount of personal information divulged, 1921 was the first census in which individuals could complete a separate confidential return; rather than relate all to the head of household. 

Special schedules enumerated merchant ships in waters around the British Isles, the Royal Navy (RN) and the British Army. For the very first time, Royal Air Force (RAF) bases overseas were included.

Dealing with a 50-Year Gap: The 1939 Register  

Family historians are undoubtedly shocked when faced with an impending 50-year census gap for England and Wales. The 1939 Register goes some way to bridge what is a yawning data chasm. This was census-like survey taken shortly after war was declared. Household relationships were not requested, nor place of birth. One compensation is the exact date of birth column. Nevertheless, the Register makes for a worthy census stand-in.

Though released online after 76 years, like the censuses the 100-year closure rule still applies. Consequently, you will come across blacked-out entries for those born less than 100 years ago and whose death has not been registered.  

How to access the 1939 Register

• You can access the 1939 Register of England and Wales online via both Findmypast and Ancestry.         
• An entry from the Scotland 1939 Register can be ordered from the National Records of Scotland, providing the individual has since died.
• For the Northern Ireland 1939 Register you can make an application to NIdirect. You request details by the specific address.
• Records for the Isle of Man and Channel Islands (Jersey and Guernsey) are no longer available.
  
  

The 1921 Census Online: A Mass-digitisation Project

On 27 February 2019, it was announced that The National Archives (TNA) - in association with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) - had awarded Findmypast the contract to mass-digitise the 1921 census of England and Wales. 

A team involving conservation specialists, technicians and transcribers were set to work. Over a period of three years 30,000 volumes of original schedules (more than a mile of shelving) were conserved, digitised and transcribed.    

Just over 100 years since being conducted, the census was released online on 6 January 1922.

How to Access the 1921 Census of England and Wales

It is only available by subscribing to Findmypast. Until at least 2025 it will remain the sole site where you can access and search the 1921 census online. It is available through their Premium subscription package (3 or 12 months) or via micropayments on other packages.