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Archiver > ENGLISH-FENS > 2002-01 > 1010590915


From: Ian Andrews <>
Subject: [FENS] 1901 census and publication of the 1911 census
Date: Wed, 09 Jan 2002 15:41:55 +0000


I do wonder if there is not another message coming from the current
debacle that is the 1901 census.

At present, the UK census is bound by the 100-year rule on
confidentiality, which in effect creates a brick-wall for researchers or
perhaps this might be more appropriately described as a dam. So in the
ten years before the release of this data there is a steady build up of
interest in what the census might reveal. Given the growth of interest
in family history and the Internet, the PRO will have even greater
demand for the 1911 census when it is released in 2012 than for the 1901
census. One way to avoid this is to bring forward the date for opening
this information up for public inspection. I think this would only
really apply to the 1911 census, as I have a memory that there are other
problems with the 1921 & 1931 Census's.

The main argument against opening up these records before the 100 years
has been confidentiality. This might be have been a good reason, but
other records have now been released early and given the number of
people now living beyond 100 - what price their confidentiality!

So, let us ask the PRO to mitigate the current disaster by moving
quickly to opening the 1911 census, perhaps in 3 or 5 years time!

Ian Andrews in Rochdale

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