2011 census form peek

[giraffe]

Wish it did even just that on the 1841 Census, rather than 'not born in County' - might have been a help to get around my brick wall!
giraffe

[nigelp]

Nigel - on page 7 it does ask where you were born and lists England, Scotland, N Ireland, etc.

Cuthie

It only asks for the person's country of birth and not specific place of birth. Someone looking at the 2011 census in, say, 100 years time for a John Smith and being faced with numerous John Smiths all born in England, without any indication of a city, town or even a county, is not going to find it very helpful. Even the 1841 census asked if the person was born in the county.

Nigel

 

[groom]

That's interesting. This time last year I was contacted by the Department of Statistics (or something like that) to ask if I would take part in a National survey. I agreed and was visited by a woman who asked me a series of questions. Every 3 months since then, I have been telephoned and asked to go through the questions again to see if anything had changed. The last and final time was this Monday. Looking at the section on the census for individual questions, they are virtually the same as I was asked. 

Jan

[giraffe]

Cuthie

 Even the 1841 census asked if the person was born in the county.

Nigel

And when the record says 'no' you are left with an ancestor who has a fairly common name, and still no idea where to look!!
giraffe

[millymcb]

 

At least the older censuses asked people where they were born. The 2011 census doesn't ask this question so it will be less help for family history.

It does seem rather odd that they have taken it out. You would think they would be interested to know how many people move away from where they were born. Maybe there are expecting a large number born outside the UK and think that the variety of places of birth will be too many for them.

Milly

[FosseWay]

I guess there's nothing stopping people adding specific birthplace information if they want. When the digital versions of what we fill in are made publicly available in 2112, our extra info will be there for our descendants, whether the government in 2011 wanted it or not!

It's similar to all the men and widowed women who erroneously, but very usefully for us, filled in the 'years married' and 'children' boxes in 1911.

[bhaven]

In 1911 census my grandmother gave herself a few more years married to cover the two children born before marriage, so it isn't necessarily accurate.

Jean

[Siamese Girl]

I guess in 100 years time family historians won't be so reliant on the census returns as we are to find out town of birth  as more records will be available to them.

Carole

[nigelp]

I guess in 100 years time family historians won't be so reliant on the census returns as we are to find out town of birth  as more records will be available to them.

Carole

Unfortunately, although there are potentially more records today which could be available many of them are destroyed.

Nigel