1841%subject=1841, 1851, 1861 Census

[Jfremont]

I am contemplating puchasing these census Cds for the London area. I know that they are not indexed. Although my ancestors lived in the London area, they appear to have moved frequently so I don't have many addresses to work with.
I assume that it would be necessary to systematically work through the parishs and districts.
Will some experienced person advise what their success or lack thereof has been under similar circumstances?
Thank you
John

[Rod Neep]

The Archive CD Books 1871 London census CDs are available from Parish Chest (http://www.parishchest.com/en-gb/dept_2414.html).

Regards

Rod

[Pam Downes]

I am contemplating puchasing these census Cds for the London area. I know that they are not indexed. Although my ancestors lived in the London area, they appear to have moved frequently so I don't have many addresses to work with.
I assume that it would be necessary to systematically work through the parishs and districts.
Will some experienced person advise what their success or lack thereof has been under similar circumstances?


Hi John,

Sorry, but yes it's just a systematic search. However you can perhaps cut down on some of the research areas. First of all do you have a BMD occurring near in time to a census? e.g. a birth in June 1860 in St Pancras registration district. If so, I'd look in that district first.
Secondly one of the Forum members, Frank W has produced some surname indexes for some London districts in various years.
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/cendexes

I haven't yet done much searching in London and its environs, but you do need to remember that London in the mid 1800s is not the London that we know today. So you might need the list of the registration districts.
http://www.fhsc.org.uk/genuki/REG/
click London and possibly Middlesex

www.streetmap.co.uk will show you the current London streets, but names have been changed over the years (and some streets have just disappeared).
http://members.aol.com/WHall95037/london.html
might help.

Good luck.

Pam Downes

[AnnB]

:( Daunting as it may seem, I found it very worthwhile trawling through the London Census CD's. If you can get yourself focussed on searching for one or two names at a time, it does help. When I first started, I kept getting sidetracked by other names which 'belonged' to either me or my husband and so it was taking for ever (having said that, I did find a family that I wasn't even looking for as I had no idea they would be in London than...!) But be warned - it can get a bit addictive and you can go into a sort of trance, thinking I'll just do one more page which turns into another...and another...and another. :)

Good hunting
Ann

[Zoe Archer]

:( Daunting as it may seem, I found it very worthwhile trawling through the London Census CD's.
Ann

I agree wholeheartedly. This is the only way to find those lost souls. Even with the indexing project done by Ancestry for London and Middlesex, I still have several people missing in 1871. There are several other indexing projects in progress, FreeCen is still in its infancy, S&N keep updating their 1861 but still far from complete.

Even when I find a family using the index, I still like to trawl through the area. I have found several family members living quite close, particularly daughters whose married names were previously unknown. I have also found connections via neighbours that appeared as witnesses at marriages.

I spread it out over a period of time (otherwise one will end up cross-eyed), making note in my Research log of each piece number I have checked.

My list is dwindling slowly, but I still have a long way to go. I'll likely get there before Ancestry does, though ;)

Good luck!

[Jfremont]

Pam, AnnB, and Zoe

Thank you all for your advice. I have spent many hours with the census's on Ancestry since the indexing is far from full proof, so figured I have a pretty good idea what having the Cds for the earlier census might mean. I have been referring to other clues as I go such as directories, BMD records, IGI, etc., but it is getting more difficult so now I think I have little choice but to slog through the records.

John

[Jfremont]

Rod,

Thank you for your comments. I have been studying what Archive CD Books has available. Unfortunately it seems that for 1841, 1851, and 1861 census in the London area there are no offerings at present. Howver, there are many other items of interest which I will be considering.
John

[Geoffers]

I have been referring to other clues as I go such as directories, BMD records, IGI, etc., but it is getting more difficult so now I think I have little choice but to slog through the records.
I'm a great believer in using maps to help plot where families moved.

Get a reasonably large scale map (Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 maps are perfectly adequate, even for towns) and mark on it all the locations where your family lived at certain times (use an online map to help locate streets and transfer the location onto the OS map). I buy small stickers to do this and use a different coloured ink for each decade. The physical act of plotting the movement helps to put everything in perspective and you can easily see over how large an area a family moved in the course of time. This may then give you an idea of the best places to begin working through the records.

Geoffers
Charlbury, Oxfordshire

[Guy Etchells]

I totally agree, in fact I find it amazing that people can contemplate doing family history without access to maps.
As for the census, I suggest buying census for as many registration districts as you can possibly afford, this is useful for rural districts and essential for towns & cities.

Don't bother with indexes but browse the returns, it is not a race and no prizes for finishing firsmessage=I totally agree, in fact I find it amazing that people can contemplate doing family history without access to maps.
As for the census, I suggest buying census for as many registration districts as you can possibly afford, this is useful for rural districts and essential for towns & cities.

Don't bother with indexes but browse the returns, it is not a race and no prizes for finishing first browsing the returns provides vastly more information about your ancestor's lives than any index ever will.
Cheers
Guy

[Jfremont]

I am sorry for not replying yesterday. Thank you for the suggestion about maps. Although I have been using maps to plot locations, I have not been as systematic as you suggest. As I get in to this I am realizing it makes a big difference to keep good records.

[Geoffers]

Although I have been using maps to plot locations, I have not been as systematic as you suggest. As I get in to this I am realizing it makes a big difference to keep good records.
Indeed it does, you may begin researching a family history and have just a dozen or two dozen names; at that point it may be difficult to understand the reasoning behind keeping organized. However, records soon mount up, certificates arrive, census returns found, old photos, wills, directories, taxes, parish registers, service records, etc, etc. They can soon become unmanageable.

Those who have been researching for some time harp on about giving people and documents ID numbers, storing docments correctly, recording sensibly where you found certain information, we probably go on about it to the point of tedium. But it is one of the most important lessons to be taken in - whatever system you use, work and store things methodically. As Guy wrote "it is not a race and no prizes for finishing first".

Good luck

Geoffers
Charlbury, Oxfordshire

[John]

Indeed it does, you may begin researching a family history and have just a dozen or two dozen names; at that point it may be difficult to understand the reasoning behind keeping organized. However, records soon mount up, certificates arrive, census returns found, old photos, wills, directories, taxes, parish registers, service records, etc, etc. They can soon become unmanageable.

Those who have been researching for some time harp on about giving people and documents ID numbers, storing docments correctly, recording sensibly where you found certain information, we probably go on about it to the point of tedium. But it is one of the most important lessons to be taken in - whatever system you use, work and store things methodically. As Guy wrote "it is not a race and no prizes for finishing first".

Good luck

Geoffers
Charlbury, Oxfordshire
Seconded

John