Product Description

The National Archives' authoritative guide to its most popular set of records. The census has long been an important resource for family, local and social historians, yielding key information about our ancestors including their names, addresses, ages, family relationships and occupations. When the 1901 census went online in 2002 the demand from researchers was phenomenal, and the 1911 census planned for release from 2009 to 2012 - the first to feature our ancestors' own handwriting - is set to be still more popular. This one-stop guide covers everything you need to know about the 1841-1911 censuses in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, from the days of the enumerators knocking on everyone's doors to the modern privilege of internet access. Much of the book focuses on getting the best results from online research, given issues like competing websites and variable index and image quality. Other ways of accessing the census - from original records to microfilm, CDs and DVDs - are covered in full. Complete with illustrations, photographs, screenshots and case histories, Census is essential reference for anyone seeking to tap this unique resource, whether researching an individual or a locality.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20480 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Review
Subtitled 'The expert guide' - this is no idle boast considering the book's pedigree. Co-authors David Annal, key census expert at The National Archives for the last ten years and the renowned The Genealogist's Internet author, Peter Christian, are both strong contenders for the title of leading expert in the field. --Family History Monthly

The definitive guide to what the census is, what it was meant to do when it was created and its value to family historians. --Who do you think you are magazine

This is a fine book, handsomely produced with much of interest --Ancestors

Peter Christian and David Annal have written what appears to be the definitive guide to UK census records...Not only is this book a time saver, but Census: The Expert Guide is also a great reference book. This book will help you discover how to get the very best from online research, selecting the most useful websites and best quality images, as well as the experts' techniques for searching original records, on microfilm, CDs and DVDs. --Dick Eastman, Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

This is a fine book, handsomely produced with much of interest --Ancestors

About the Author
Peter Christian is highly regarded in the world of online genealogy and has published many books and articles on the subject. He is the author of The National Archives' market-leading title The Genealogist's Internet, which has sold over 100,000 copies. David Annal was originally a professional genealogical researcher. Since 1998 he has worked at the Family Records Centre and The National Archives, where he has been a key expert on census records. He is the author of the highly-successful Easy Family History for The National Archives.

Customer Reviews

A genealogy book worth the price
I have been working on family history for 36 years and during that period I have purchased a number of books on the subject. Most of them have been disappointments, but this one is an exception. It is well written, timely and - so far as I can determine - accurate. Within the first half hour of opening it I had found some information about the 1841 census that cleared up a puzzle that had been frustrating me. The only complaint that I have is that this book will probably cause me to buy others, which won't be as useful as this one.

A useful addition
A useful addition to my collection. Quite a lot of the book is spent covering specific individual family history websites. This means that unless you are using them those particular chapters are not going to be relevant to you. Comparisons between the sites are perhaps useful in helping you decide which to use but some of the data (eg prices) will probably quickly date.
The history of the census is one of the best aspects - bringing home how it was completed and the resultant limitations in the records now available to us.