FindmyPast adds Liverpool 1801 census

The latest additions to FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk):

1801 Lancashire, Liverpool Census
Discover your Scouse ancestor’s address, occupation and who they were living with in 1801 with over 13,000 new and exclusive early census records. Images will provide additional information about your ancestor’s abode.

Cornwall Burials
Over 75,000 new records covering 52 parishes across the Cornish peninsula are now available to search. These transcripts reveal when and where your ancestor was buried, their age at death, residence and relatives’ names.

Kent Burials
12,000 new records have been added to the collection this week. The majority of these new additions cover Swanscombe municipal cemetery and will reveal where and when your ancestor was buried as well as the names of their spouse and father.

New Zealand, Women's Suffrage Petition
Was your ancestor involved in the women’s suffrage movement in New Zealand? Discover if your ancestor signed the unsuccessful 1892 women’FindmyPast adds 1801 census for Liverpools franchise petition or the 1893 petition that finally succeeded in granting women the right to vote in New Zealand.

British & Irish Newspaper Update
Over 66,000 new pages have been added this week, including two brand new titles and updates to seven existing titles. Our two new titles, the Huntly Express and the Highland news, both hail from the Scottish Highlands and date from late 1800s. We have also added new pages to the Aberdeen Press and Journal, Birmingham Daily Gazette, Aberdeen Evening Express, Staffordshire Sentinel, Irvine Herald, Ayrshire Post and the Sandwell Evening Mail.

Further details and links at https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new/new-records-from-liverpool-cornwall-kent-and-new-zealand

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts 4 November 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

1821 Orkney (South Ronaldsay) census added to FindmyPast

The latest additions to FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk):

Billion Graves Cemetery Indexes
Pinpoint your ancestor's final resting place with new additions to our Billion Graves Cemetery Indexes. Our latest update includes:

Over 2.6 million new additions to the United States Billion Graves Cemetery Index
Over 214,000 new additions to the Canada Billion Graves Cemetery Index
Over 114,000 new additions to the England Billion Graves Cemetery Index
Over 2,000 new additions to the Ireland Billion Graves Cemetery Index
Over 80,000 new additions to the Scotland Billion Graves Cemetery Index
Over 42,000 new additions to the Wales Billion Graves Cemetery Index
Over 323,000 new additions to the Australia Graves Cemetery Index
Over 71,000 new additions to the New Zealand Billion Graves Cemetery Index

Cemetery records are of great importance in discovering where and when your ancestor died. They can also provide you with information regarding their birth and marriage dates.

Kent Burials
Over 4,500 records of burials that took place at St Martin's church in Cheriton are now available to search. These new additions cover two periods, 1843 to 1855 and 1907 to 1958. Search these records to discover where and when your ancestor was buried, as well as the names of their spouse and father.

Scotland, Orkney, 1821 South Ronaldsay Census
The 1821 Orkney census, taken on the night of 18 May, was part of the third decennial census taken in the UK. Each result include both a transcript and image of the original documents. The 1821 Orkney census was taken on the night of 18 May 1821. It was the third decennial census for the UK. Enumerators around the country were responsible for creating an accurate records of the number of people living in their area. However, and fortunately for genealogists and family historians, the enumerator for south Ronaldsay and Burray, schoolmaster Peter Nicholson McLaren, decided to make full lists of names. He records the names along with ages and occupations. The Orkney Islands are located off the northern coast of Scotland, between the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

International records update - Finland
Search for your Finnish ancestors in three indexes of more than six million baptisms, marriages and burials between 1657 and 1909. These transcripts will also generate hints against any names stored in your Findmypast Family Tree.

British & Irish Newspaper Update
This week we have added 102,572 new pages and two new titles to our collection. This week sees the addition The Queen, or to give it its full title, The Queen, The Ladies' Newspaper and Court Chronicle, a society magazine by Samuel Beeton established in 1861. We also have another new women's title joining The Archive this week – the Women's Gazette and Weekly News. Published in Manchester, this was a 'journal devoted to the social and political position of women.' Our existing specialist and regional titles have not been neglected either. We have a significant update to the Bristol Times and Mirror, with over 33,000 pages added, covering the years 1897 to 1911. We have also updated two of our early Labour publications – Clarion and the Labour Leader – as well as one of our religious titles, Witness (Edinburgh), and one of our sporting titles, the Football Post (Nottingham), displaying the astonishing range of interests represented in our Archive.

Further details and links at https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/findmypast-friday-july-26th-2639340731.html

Chris

Pre-order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) for just £11.99 at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Scottish 2021 Census amendment bill passed

From the National Records of Scotland (www.nrscotland.gov.uk):

Census (Amendment)(Scotland) Bill passed
Thursday, 13 Jun 2019

New questions can be asked – but answering will be voluntary.

New voluntary questions can be asked in Scotland’s 2021 Census on transgender status and history, and sexual orientation, following the passing of the Census (Amendment)(Scotland) Bill.

The Bill will make changes to the 1920 Census Act to enable National Records of Scotland to ask these questions on a voluntary basis. The final proposed questions will be laid before the Scottish Parliament for agreement before the census takes place.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop, said:

“Our country has relied on the census for over 200 years and it remains the best way to gather the information government, councils, NHS and other users need.

“This is an important Bill that will enable questions on transgender status and history, and sexual orientation to be asked on a voluntary basis for the very first time, with no penalty for not answering them.

“It is widely accepted that there are currently data gaps on sexual orientation and trans status. Including questions on these demographics in the census will provide valuable data for public service planning purposes and will help public bodies meet duties under the Equality Act 2010.”

Paul Lowe, Registrar General for Scotland, said:

“National Records of Scotland are consulting extensively with groups all over Scotland to develop and test proposed questions to ensure they are supported by the public.“By asking questions which reflect a modern, inclusive Scotland, we will ensure the census will continue to be a vital source of information for decades to come.”

The power to ask new questions on a compulsory basis already exists in the Census Act 1920 but refusing to answer a census question or neglecting to do so is an offence under the section 8 of the Census Act 1920. This Bill allows questions on sexual orientation and trans status and history to be asked on a voluntary basis. These questions are aimed at improving data used for public service planning purposes and will be entirely voluntary.

Background

Scotland’s next census will take place on Sunday 21 March 2021, subject to the approval of the Scottish Parliament.

Plans for Scotland's Census 2021 include details on question development, privacy and confidentiality, collecting and publishing information and the legislative process.

A census is organised in Scotland every 10 years and collects information on households and individuals to inform public services, policy and research.

Scotland's Registrars General have taken responsibility for the country's census since 1861.

(The original release is at https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/news/2019/census-amendment-scotland-bill-passed)

Chris

Pre-order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) for just £11.99 at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

FamilySearch adds Scottish 1901 census

FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org) has added a new collection, Scotland Census, 1901, available at https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/3212239.

Although listed as part of the New Free Historical Records on FamilySearch: Week of May 6, 2019 release (https://media.familysearch.org/new-free-historical-records-on-familysearch--week-of-may-6-2019/), the records do not seem to be searchable as yet, although the page is live.

I do have to take FamilySearch to task on one point, however. As part of the description, FamilySearch notes that "This collection is located at The National Archive (England) and the archive series number is RG 13.The archive uses a unique two-part reference number combining the Series Number and the Registration District Number (RD). Each unique reference number corresponds to a distinct piece reference in the series. For example, RG 13/70. The index was provided by FindMyPast.com and Images are not available at this time".

Cue a big sigh...

I have raised the erroneous source citations of the Scottish censuses as held on FindmyPast in the past, and they either simply do not want to know, or cannot be bothered to do anything about it - but I do hope that FamilySearch might be a little more open to constructive criticism.

The 1901 Scottish census - and indeed ALL Scottish censuses - are not held in England at the National Archives, they are held at the National Records of Scotland (https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk) in Edinburgh (pictured right). They are not catalogued by the NRS under RG13, that's the English records classification at TNA. The Scottish census is not even collected on the same legal basis as the English census, and has not been since the 1861 census was the first to be carried out through the authority of the Registrar General for Scotland.

It would be great if FamilySearch could amend this.

FamilySearch has also added England, Northamptonshire, Non-conformist Records, 1840-1894 (https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/2806100).

UPDATE: Actually, I should probably take them to task on the following bit also:

"These records are comprised of Enumeration forms that were distributed to all households before the census night and the complete forms were collected the next day by the enumerators."

They aren't. The records are the enumerators returns which were copied from the original enumeration forms, which were subsequently destroyed. But let's not split hairs!

Chris

My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts May 13th 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

FindmyPast to host 1921 English/Welsh census

From FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk):

The National Archives in association with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has awarded Findmypast the contract to digitise and publish the 1921 Census online

In the most anticipated family history development since the online publication of the 1939 Register, Findmypast has been selected as The National Archives' commercial partner to make the 1921 Census of England & Wales available online.


The census, which was the first to be conducted following the introduction of the Census Act of 1920, will be published online by Findmypast in January 2022.

The project will see Findmypast capture digital images and transcribe the records in a way that will enable family historians across the globe to conduct meaningful searches of these important records when they are opened for the very first time.

Taken on 19th June 1921, the census consists of more than 28,000 bound volumes of original household returns containing detailed information on close to 38 million individuals.

It provides greater detail than any previous census as, in addition to the questions asked in 1911, the 1921 returns also asked householders to reveal their place of employment, the industry they worked in and the materials they worked with as well as their employer's name. Those aged 15 and older were required to provide information about their marital status, including if divorced, while for those under 15 the census recorded whether both parents were alive or if either or both had died.

The 1921 Census also included detailed questions on education, and was the first in which individual householders could submit separate confidential returns.

(Source: https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/1921-census-2630175088.html)

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Digital first for the 2021 Scottish census

From the National Records of Scotland (www.nrscotland.gov.uk):

Digital-first census for 2021

For the first time in 2021, people in Scotland will be encouraged to fill out their census questionnaire primarily online, with support and help available for those who need it.

‘Plans for Scotland’s Census 2021’, published by National Records of Scotland, lays out proposals for how the census will be conducted and the questions it will ask.

Under the proposals, the census will ask new questions, including whether the respondent is a veteran. It is also proposed that questions on sexual orientation and transgender status and history will be asked. As set out in 2018-19 Programme for Government, a Bill will be introduced this parliamentary session to allow sexual orientation and transgender questions to be asked on a voluntary basis.

The report also gives details of what consultation, tests and stakeholder engagement have been conducted to help shape the proposed questions so far. The final proposed questions will be laid before the Scottish Parliament for agreement before the census takes place.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop, said:

“For more than 200 years, Scotland has relied on the census to underpin national and local decision making. The census is the only complete source of whole population information about Scotland.

“By encouraging and assisting people to complete their census online, and asking questions which reflect a modern, inclusive Scotland, these proposals ensure the census will continue to be a vital source of information for decades to come.”

Anne Slater, Registrar General for Scotland, said:

“The publication today of ‘Plans for Scotland’s Census 2021’ is a major milestone in delivering a successful census. These proposals have been developed based on robust research and testing and we have consulted many people and organisations to take full account of Scotland’s diverse population.”

Background

• Plans for Scotland’s Census 2021 also include details on privacy and confidentiality, collecting and publishing information and the legislative process. It is being published now to allow sufficient time for discussion of proposed questions and topics.
• A census is organised in Scotland every 10 years and collects information on households and individuals to inform public services, policy and research.
• It was possible to complete the census online in 2011, but printed questionnaires were still sent to every house in Scotland.
• Scotland’s Registrar Generals have taken responsibility for the country’s census since 1861.

(Original story at https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/news/2018/digital-first-census-for-2021)

COMMENT: When the 2011 census took place, I filled it in online and submitted it, but also filled in a paper copy which I held onto, so that my kids could see it in the future, with censuses being closed for 100 years. In fact, I added additional questions, such as what is your favourite football team?, what is your favourite band?, what is your favourite TV programme?, etc!

Whatever format the Scottish 2021 census takes (and indeed other censuses in the UK), perhaps think about how you might wish to preserve the information for yourself in an offline format?

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Early Scottish census records added to FindmyPast

The latest records added to FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk):

Scotland, Edinburgh Temperance Pledges 1886-1908
Did your Scottish ancestor sign a temperance pledge between 1886 and 1908? These temperance pledges were introduced by the United Presbyterian Church and originally called the Band of Hope Register. The index records names, birth years, addresses and includes the names and ages of numerous children who signed the pledge.

Scotland, Berwickshire, Ladykirk Heads of Household 1811
Discover your Scottish ancestors from Ladykirk in Berkshire. This early census recorded the names of the heads of the household in Ladykirk in 1811 as well as information pertaining to their family and other members of their household.

Scotland, Edinburgh St Cuthbert's Census 1790
Explore your Scottish ancestry with the 1790 census of the parish of St Cuthbert's in Edinburgh. The index has been transcribed by the Scottish Genealogy Society. The original list came from the Kirk Session Records for Ladykirk.

Scotland, Perthshire, Inhabitants of the Burgh of Perth 1766
Discover your Scottish ancestry with this list of inhabitants of the Burgh of Perth in 1766. The inhabitants list was taken by the magistrates on 19 March 1766 and the following days.

Scotland, Shetland, Tingwall List of Inhabitants 1785
Discover our Scottish ancestors live in the Shetland Islands? Search this list of inhabitants of the parish of Tingwall.

British & Irish Newspapers
This week we have added 148,176 new pages to The Archive. We have added pages to the Irish Independent, as well as to the Liverpool Echo. We have also added a long run of new pages to the Sligo Champion, spanning the years 1942 to 2006. The Sligo Champion was founded in 1836 by four times mayor of Sligo Edward Howard Verdon, and it is still in publication today

Further details and links are available at https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/findmypast-friday-september-7th-2602564893.html.

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Tender issued for English and Welsh 1921 census project

The National Archives in England (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk) has issued a tender for a partner to digitise and license the 1921 census for England and Wales. From the tender:

The National Archives is seeking expressions of interest for the 1921 Census records digitisation and licensing project.

The project will be to digitise, transcribe and publish online the records of the 1921 Census of England and Wales. The contract award will include a commercial license to publish the images (and associated transcription data produced by the project) online and to complete all the required processes to complete this (including such activities as digital image capture, transcription of data to allow for meaningful searches of the records, online publication).

To demonstrate eligibility to be considered for this tender, potential Suppliers must demonstrate:

a) Experience of managing and completing large-scale digitisation projects of heritage material;

b) Online publication of heritage material specifically for use by the Family History Market;

c) Viable commercial models that return an income stream to licensor partners.

The full terms of the tender are available at http://www.government-online.net/tender-for-1921-census-records-digitisation-and-licensing/.

The 1921 census is the last available full census for these two countries prior to 1951, with the 1931 English and Welsh census destroyed during the Second World War, and no census carried out in 1941 due to the war.  The National Identity Register for England and Wales, an effective census substitute carried out in 1939, is available on FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk).

There was no census carried out in 1921 in Ireland, with both the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland subsequently having a census on the same night in 1926 - of these, only the records from the Free State (now the Republic of Ireland) survive. The next available surviving census for Northern Ireland was recorded in 1937 (to be released in 2037), with the 1939 National Identity Register for Northern Ireland already available for consultation via the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni).

In Scotland, the 1921 census is held by the National Records of Scotland, which will digitise the records separately to the English and Welsh returns, for release and presentation in 2021. The 1931 Scottish census has also survived, and will be due for release in 2031, whilst the 1939 National Identity Register for Scotland is already available through the NRS (see https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/guides/national-register).

For an indication of the information recorded by the 1921 census, visit www.1921census.org.uk. The census form can also be previewed at www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/census/2011/how-our-census-works/about-censuses/census-history/200-years-of-the-census/census-1911-2001/1921-census-form.pdf

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Danish censuses added to FamilySearch

The latest records released on FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org) this week...

SALT LAKE CITY, UT—Five historic Denmark Censuses, 1835 to 1855, were added on FamilySearch this week and millions of civil registration records from Uruguay. Many more records from Brazil, Great Britain, Peru, and Portugal were also published. Search these new free records at FamilySearch by clicking on the links in the interactive table below. Easily find and share this announcement online from the FamilySearch Newsroom.

Collection	Indexed Records	Digital Images	Comments
Brazil, Piauí, Civil Registration, 1875-2014	206,819	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Denmark Census, 1835	282,207	7,221	New indexed records and images collection
Denmark Census, 1840	1,611,062	0	New indexed records collection
Denmark Census, 1845	1,671,252	61,743	New indexed records and images collection
Denmark Census, 1850	1,301,602	52,051	New indexed records and images collection
Denmark Census, 1855	1,733,541	99,773	New indexed records and images collection
Great Britain, War Office Registers, 1772-1935	21,642	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Peru, Cusco, Civil Registration, 1889-1997	99,218	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Portugal, Coimbra, Civil Registration, 1893-1980	53,179	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Uruguay, Civil Registration, 1900-1937	2,233,093	0	New indexed records collection

(With thanks to FamilySearch News)

Chris

My next 5 week long Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course commences Nov 6th 2017 - details at https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

New military records from TheGenealogist

From the Genealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

Military Records

TheGenealogist is pleased to announce it has added two new record sets that will be useful for researching the First World War and Victorian soldiers.

● Part one of this release is The Worldwide Army Index for 1851, 1861 and 1871 which adds another name rich resource to the already vast Military record collections at TheGenealogist with over 600,000 records
● Also released at the same time is another 3,368 pages from The Illustrated War News covering 6 September 1916 to 10 April 1918 and adding to those previously made available for this First World War paper from 1914 to 1916

The Worldwide Army Index for 1851, 1861 and 1871

If you have not found your ancestor in the various British census returns, and you know that they may have been serving at the time in the British Army, then this new release from TheGenealogist may help you to find these elusive subjects.

Many thousands of men of the British Army were serving overseas in far flung parts of the British Empire over the 1800s. This index of names is compiled from the musters contained in the WO 10-11-12 Series of War Office Paylists, held at the National Archives, Kew. The 1851, 1861 and 1871 Worldwide Army Index lists all officers* and other ranks subjects serving in the first quarter of 1851 and second quarter of 1861 and 1871, together with their regimental HQ location. The index is, therefore, effectively a military surrogate for the relevant census.

Over 70,000 records have extra notes that can indicate whether a soldier was a recruit awaiting transfer to a regiment, detached from his regiment or attached to another, possibly discharged, on leave, had deserted or retired. Men identified as using aliases are also included. Many notes include a place of birth and former occupation.

Also included within the records are recruits, boy soldiers, bandsmen and civilians working in the armed forces as clerks, pension recruiters, teachers and suchlike. Colonial regiments which invariably had numbers of British subjects are also featured.

The Illustrated War News was a weekly magazine during the First World War, published by The Illustrated London News and Sketch Ltd. of London. The IWN publication contained illustrated reports related entirely to the war and comprised articles, photographs, diagrams and maps. From 1916 it was issued as a 40-page publication in portrait format, having been landscape prior to this. It claimed to have the largest number of artist-correspondents reporting on the progress of the war until it ceased publication in 1918.

To search these and many other records go to: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/search/advanced/military/muster-book-pay-list/
or read our article at: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2017/worldwide-army-index-1851-1861--1871-661/

*While the 1851 and 1871 include officers, the 1861 index excludes officers as they were not mustered in all the Paylists.

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

My next 5 week long Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course commences Nov 6th 2017 - details at https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Will there be further Scottish coverage on FreeCEN?

I'm currently teaching a course on online Scottish resources, and as part of discussion concerning the volunteer census transcription project FreeCEN (www.freecen.org.uk), a student (Dave) flagged up a note I had not read before concerning the status of future transcriptions for Scotland, which is available at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sctfc/:

Unfortunately, we currently have no more Scottish census images to transcribe. We still have opportunities for experienced volunteers to work as checkers, but we are not recruiting transcribers. If you would like to become a transcriber for another part of the UK, please contact FreeCEN Chairperson, Brenda Bowers, who will gladly get you started.

We would like to extend our gratitude and appreciation to all the people who have contributed to the Scotland Free Census Project.

I mentioned this on last night's AncestryHour on Twitter, and have had the following response from @FreeUKGen:

Not one to rest on our laurels, we're working on something that *might* let us break through that particular brick wall...

Fingers crossed, and more news if and when I get it...

(With thanks to @FreeUKGen)

Chris

My next 5 week long Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course commences Nov 6th 2017 - details at https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Meeting a FreeCEN volunteer in Crete!

It's a small world really! Last night at a Greek taverna in Crete, a couple seated next to me at the bar, Brian and Diane Collins from North Wales, got talking with me. Within seconds we were talking genealogy, because it soon transpired that Brian is in fact a volunteer for the FreeCEN project (www.freecen.org.uk).

FreeCEN is a volunteer based project designed to provide free to access transcriptions of the censuses in Britain from 1841-1891. Volunteers at the Scottish end started with 1841, and are moving forward through the range, whilst English and Welsh volunteers started at 1891 and are moving backwards. It's a long standing work in progress, but has many key advantages over some of the commercial sites, in that underpinning the transcription effort is an equally impressive effort to oversee the quality of the transcriptions using local knowledge, thanks to people like Brian. Brian's role is to check what transcribers are producing, and to make any corrections needed where there has been an error in interpretation from the original source record.

FreeCEN is certainly a site worth bookmarking - I have actually found entries using the site that in the past ScotlandsPeople has not even indexed correctly. And don't forget to check out the future version of FreeCEN, currently available on a beta site at https://freecen2.freecen.org.uk.

(With thanks to Brian and Diane - have a great stay in Crete!)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Latest FamilySearch additions

The latest additions this week to the free FamilySearch website (https://familysearch.org):

Collection	Indexed Records	Digital Images	Comments
BillionGraves Index	262,608	262,608	Added indexed records and images to an existing collection
Denmark Census, 1860	1,752,392	63,251	New indexed records and images collection
Denmark Census, 1870	1,760,360	145,352	New indexed records and images collection
Denmark Census, 1880	1,952,203	201,743	New indexed records and images collection
Denmark Census, 1890	2,138,072	264,973	New indexed records and images collection
Denmark Census, 1901	2,328,066	1,153,599	New indexed records and images collection
Denmark Census, 1906	2,525,146	391,264	New indexed records and images collection
England, Essex Parish Registers, 1538-1997	4,371	44,372	Added indexed records and images to an existing collection
French Polynesia, Civil Registration, 1843-1999	4,853	9,903	New indexed records and images collection
Luxembourg, Civil Registration, 1796-1941	15,127	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Netherlands, Archival Indexes, Miscellaneous Records	7,595,471	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Nicaragua Civil Registration, 1809-2013	60,015	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Paraguay, Catholic Church Records, 1754-2015	137,335	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Peru, Cajamarca, Civil Registration, 1938-1996	29,115	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Peru, Cusco, Civil Registration, 1889-1997	92,507	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Poland, Lublin Roman Catholic Church Books, 1784-1964	5,350	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Portugal, Portalegre, Catholic Church Records, 1859-1911	3,821	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Slovenia, Ljubljana, Funeral Accounts, 1937-1970	4,054	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
Spain, Province of Asturias, Municipal Records, 1470-1897	29,538	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection
United States, War Relocation Authority centers, final accountability rosters, 1942-1946	96,910	2,106	New indexed records and images collection
Venezuela, Catholic Church Records, 1577-1995	281,584	0	Added indexed records to an existing collection

(Source: http://media.familysearch.org/new-historic-records-on-familysearch-week-of-september-12-2017/)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Manitoba and Saskatchewan records added to Ancestry

The following Canadian collections are now available on Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk), which may be of interest if your ancestors emigrated there from Britain and Ireland, particularly if they worked for or settled in areas controlled by the Hudson's Bay Company:

Manitoba, Canada, Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1834-1959
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61513
Source: Provincial Archives of Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada. Archidocese of Keewatin-La Pas, Manitoba, Canada.

This collection consists baptism, marriage, and burial records from various churches in and around Manitoba, Canada between the years of 1834 and 1959. Some information found by browsing the collection may date back to 1800, but baptism, marriage, and burial records are only found post-1834.


Manitoba, Canada, Census Indexes, 1832-1856 & 1870
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61494
Source: Provincial Archives of Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada.

This collection consists of Census Indexes from Manitoba (Red River Settlement), Canada, from the years 1832-1856, taken by the Hudson's Bay Company, and the 1870 provincial census of Manitoba.


Saskatchewan, Canada, Catholic Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1867-1932
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61499
Source: Archdiocese of Regina (Saskatchewan), Archdiocese of Keewatin-La Pas (Manitoba), Diocese of Prince Albert (Saskatchewan), Diocese of Saskatoon.

Baptisms, marriages, and burials from various Roman Catholic parishes in Saskatchewan, Canada. Confirmations may also be found. Records typically appear in either register or paragraph format, and are written in French and English. Some registers may have latin headings, but the entries will be written in English or French. Because of the location and time period of these records, some registers may include Metis families in the old Northwest Territories and in the province of Sakatchewan.


Saskatchewan, Canada, Cemetery Transcripts, 1850-1994
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61500
Source: Saskatchewan Genealogical Society, Saskatchewan, Canada.

This collection includes cemetery records from Saskatchewan, Canada, spanning the years of 1850-1994.

Further details on each collection can be found via the links.

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

1921 Canadian Census online at LAC

The 1921 Canadian Census has been made freely available online at the Library and Archives Canada website (www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng).

From the site:

About the Census of Canada 1921 database

If you have ever been keen to research genealogy, a simple search in the 1921 Census database will give you access to a vast amount of historical information, including the following:

Dwelling, house
Family, household or institution
Name of each person in the dwelling, including:
relationship to the head of the household
gender
marital status
age
country of birth and nationality
religion
language
race
literacy level and education
profession, occupation and employment status

Visit the Library and Archives Canada website and start your 1921 Census database search today!

To search the database visit www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/news/Pages/2017/1921-Census-Canada.aspx.

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

The FreeCEN website has been redeveloped

I've just participated in another enjoyable AncestryHour on Twitter (see http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/ancestryhour-on-twitter.html). One of the posts I picked up on was that FreeCEN, the volunteer census transcription project for England, Scotland and Wales, now has a new version of the site available online - you can see it at https://freecen2.freecen.org.uk.

Have a wee look and a play, and let the organisers know what you like or don't like at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdT2291Wot-IdsP_Y2_w82BsP9WkqXfdTnX_8V-Y7g6pClqvg/viewform! (The original site is still available at www.freecen.org.uk)

(With thanks to FreeCEN and AncestryHour)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

The forgotten Irish Census of 1813-15

The first decennial census carried out in Ireland was in 1821, correct?

Not exactly!

There was a previous census carried out in Ireland before that, between 1813-1815, but it was so poorly executed that it was never presented to Parliament. When some statistical findings from it were published a few years later in 1822, they were deemed to be completely unreliable.

The following questions were those required to be asked under the provisions of the Census of Ireland Act 1812:

1st. How many Inhabited Houses are there in your Parish, Barony, or Half Barony; and by how many Families are they occupied?

2nd. How many Houses are now building, and therefore not yet inhabited?

3d. How many other Houses are uninhabited?

4th. What Number of Families in your Parish, Barony, or Half Barony, are chiefly employed in and maintained by Agriculture; how many Families are chiefly employed in or maintained by Trade, Manufactures, or Handicraft; and, how many Families are not comprized in either of the Two preceding Classes?

N.B. The Total Number of Families in Answer to this Question, must correspond with the Number of Families in Answer to the 1st Question.

5th. How many Persons (including Children of whatever age) are there actually found within the Limits of your Parish, Barony, or Half Barony, at the Time of taking this Account; distinguishing Males and Females, and exclusive of Men actually serving in His Majesty's Regular Forces, or in the Militia, and exclusive of Seamen either in His Majesty's Service, or belonging to Registered Vessels?

6th. How many of the whole Number of Persons mentioned by you in Answer to the 5th Question, are Inhabitants of any City, Town, or Village, distinguishing the Number which are found in each City, Town or Village respectively?

7th. Are there any other Matters which you may think it necessary to remark, in Explanation of your Answers to any of the preceding Questions?


The full text of the census act is available online at http://histpop.org/ohpr/servlet/AssociatedView?path=Browse&active=yes&mno=4028&assoctitle=Census%20of%20Ireland,%201813&assocpagelabel=.

For more on the story of the census itself, visit http://histpop.org/ohpr/servlet/View?path=Browse/Essays%20(by%20kind)/Census/Ireland&active=yes&mno=2038.

Just another tragic census story from Ireland *sigh*.

The Irish authorities got their act together by 1821, producing a much more detailed decennial census than its British equivalent. Unfortunately, unlike Britain, later generations made a complete dogs dinner of preserving the records, with the earliest complete Irish census to survive being that of 1901. For those fragments that have survived before 1901, as well as the 1901 and 1911 returns, visit www.census.nationalarchives.ie.

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102.
For details on my Scottish & Irish genealogy guide books, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.
For my genealogy research service, please visit http://www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk.

1831 census records from Hampshire online

I've received the following announcement from Kevin Smith, which may be of interest to those with Hampshire connections in England:

A free Christmas present for genealogists researching Fordingbridge, Hampshire

The 1831 census for Fordingbridge Town, Burgate & Midgham, and Godshill Tything have been transcribed and are freely available at www.kevinRsmith.co.uk (scroll to the bottom of the page to find the links).

The 1831 census was taken on 30 May 1831 but, unlike later censuses, lists only the head of each household, along with the number of people in the household and the number in each type of occupation. These records are rare surviving examples of this census.

These Hampshire records join others available from Kevin R. Smith covering Dorset and Aberdeenshire.

(With thanks to Kevin Smith)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

What TheGenealogist has in store for 2017

From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

What TheGenealogist has in store for 2017

2017 is going to see millions of new records added to TheGenealogist across a wide variety of collections.

New Data Sets

We are adding millions of new and unique Parish Records and Bishops’ Transcripts are being added for many more counties.

A new and unique record set covering detailed records of our ancestors houses, which will be searchable by name, address and area, with high resolution maps showing the property.

Our ongoing project with The National Archives is set to release yet more detailed Colour County and Tithe Maps with tags to show where your ancestors lived.

We are releasing a 1921 census substitute, using a wide variety of records including Trade and Residential Directories of the time.

New decades of BT27 Passenger Lists and Emigration Records will become available.

Our International Headstone Project will be expanded with more Commonwealth Cemeteries added.

More worldwide War Memorials added to our comprehensive database.

Following on from our release of over 230 million U.S. records in 2016, we will be launching more U.S. records in 2017.

New & Improved Census Images

Thanks to new technology and new Silver Halide Film provided by The National Archives, we have now been able to re-scan the 1891 census with improved resolution and quality. This combination of improved readability and new transcripts will help locate your ancestors and view the relevant images with a superior grayscale format. Our “Deep Zoom” images have over 5 times the resolution of previous images. They will be lightening fast to view thanks to the technology used in our new image interface. We will launch these new images in early 2017.

Look out for these exciting new developments and more in 2017 at TheGenealogist.co.uk

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

TheGenealogist launches over 220 million US records

From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

TheGenealogist are launching over 220 million US records

We are expanding our international records with the release of:

* 90 million Social Security Death records 1935-2014

* 1940 Census Images containing 132 million records with searchable transcripts linked to the Enumeration Maps

* Irish immigration records for 604,596 persons arriving in New York 1846-1851

Many people hit a brick wall where an ancestor seems to disappear from all the records in the U.K. It could be that they have gone abroad for a period or emigrated for good. If your elusive ancestor went to the United States of America, TheGenealogist’s expanded international records can help.

Social Security Death Records

The U.S. Social Security Death Index is a database of over 90 million death records. These give information of those who died from 1936 whose death has been reported to the Social Security Administration.

The data includes: Given name and surname; Date of birth; Month and year of death (or full date of death for accounts active in 2000 or later); Social Security number; State or territory where the Social Security number was issued; Last place of residence while the person was alive (ZIP code).

1940 Census

The American census is searchable by first name, surname, age, state, county, street address and place of birth (allowing us to find Brits enumerated in the American census). The records give details of over 132 million individuals with a transcription along with the actual image of the schedule. Where available, the record is also linked to the Enumeration Index Map for the area so that you can see exactly which street your ancestor lived on. Our transcripts also have the added benefit of street addresses included, allowing you to search for a street rather than an individual.

The 1940 Census transcripts on TheGenealogist are not the same as those found elsewhere online; apart from the linked maps and street addresses, we have also audited the images discovering many that haven't been transcribed previously elsewhere. These are also being added to our records.

We believe that experienced researchers will welcome this release, knowing that having alternative transcripts to those already available gives the family historian a better chance of finding people whose names have been difficult to read or have contained errors in the other databases.

New York Immigration Records

The New York Port Arrival 1846-1851 series gives the family historian access to useful information about immigrants from Ireland to the United States during the era of the Irish Potato Famine, identifying 604,596 persons who arrived in the Port of New York and giving the name of the ships on which they arrived. Approximately 70 percent of the passengers listed were natives of Ireland, with the rest being nationals of 32 countries that included Canada, Brazil, Saint Croix, Russia, Morocco, the United States and various European countries. Information contained in these records include name, age, town of last residence, destination, passenger arrival date, and codes for the passenger's gender, occupation, literacy, native country, transit status, travel compartment, passenger port of embarkation, and the identification number for the ship manifest.

These new records join TheGenealogist’s growing collection of other U.S.A. data sets such as the WWII PoW records, Early Settlers and Emigrants to America, Passenger Lists, American Wills, Almanacs and Directories.

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.