1921 UK Census: How can Sunderland residents use the new release to find out about their family history?

The 1921 Census has been released by the UK National Archives, and now people across the country are able to uncover more about their family from 100 years ago.

The Census operates under a 100 year rule where all records are closed from public view for a full century and this Census is a vital one for those looking to track family record as the next Census, dated 1931, was destroyed by fire and will therefore not be published.

The Second World War meant the 1941 edition was also unable to happen, meaning the next Census release will be from 1951 in thirty years time.

The 1921 Census also marked a change in the recording method, with residents across the Britain asked about their place of work and industry in addition to whether a marriage had been dissolved by divorce.

There were also no records taken from Ireland or Northern Ireland due to the Irish War of Independence.

It showed the population of Great Britain at the time to be 42,919,700 following World War One, which ended three years previously.

How can I find out about my family history through the 1921 Census?

Anyone wanting to take a look at the 1921 Census can do through the Find My Past website. Signing up to the website is free, but accessing documents costs £2.50 for every transcript and £3.50 per record image.

The price is set to cover the cost of the three year conservation and digitisation process, which was needed to ensure the Census is legible.

Digital images of the 1921 Census are also available to see in person. Free access to documents can be found at the National Archives in Kew, London in addition to the Manchester Central Library and the Aberystwyth’s National Library of Wales.

Searching through documents online is simple, with the Find My Past website allowing members to search by name as well as address. This could include past residents of properties, famous faces from the past or well remembered and loved family members.