Ancestry Magazine

Online censuses from the United Kingdom allow family historians to access invaluable information about their ancestors in less time than ever before.

In 1871, John Reynard was a tailor living in Southwark, an area of London located south of the River Thames. According to the census, his family included children from two marriages. One child was a Reynard and the others had the surname Pellatt or Pellett. Surprisingly, the one child with the Reynard surname was not the youngest. Wife Jane was likely married to a Mr. Pellatt previously, a fact that can be determined from earlier censuses and civil records. Everyone in the household is listed as being from the London area.

Any census report prompts more questions and some, like this one, introduces new puzzles to be solved, which makes it vitally important to follow the members of a family through successive censuses. This is becoming simpler all the time as more census records become available online.

Without a doubt, the numbers are staggering—millions of pages and even more millions of names. But statistics cannot tell the full story. Consider the research potential of this amazing online resource. Here at one location is a wealth of material for genealogists and historians to study and analyze. The succession of censuses reveal dates and places of birth, occupations, relationships, households, neighborhoods, institutions, and much more.

Facts in the Census
The details set out on a page of census returns are similar in all census years, with the exception of 1841. Each page has eight headings across the top from left to right (excluding the sequential number): address, inhabited or uninhabited, name, relationship, condition (e.g., married, single, widowed), age (separate columns for males and females), rank/profession/occupation, where born, whether deaf and dumb, blind, imbecile, or lunatic.

Elsewhere on the page are details of the registration district and sub-district, parish, parliamentary district, and the National Archives reference number. Later census records (1891 and 1901) have additional columns detailing houses and employment.

It is important to note that the actual image provides more detail than the tabular result of an index search. In particular, you’ll have access to the address and the rank/profession/occupation of the family you are seeking. If you opt for the printer-friendly index report, you should add these details and note whether your interpretation of names and other facts viewed in the image matches what is stated in the printout.

Examining Family Facts
The puzzles that emerged from the Reynard family listing in the 1871 census can be investigated easily using online census resources.

The 1891 census reveals that John and Jane Reynard had a daughter Georginah about 1876. The one Pellatt boy still at home is de scribed as a stepson and there is a new surname in the mix: Doherty. It belongs to a four-year-old granddaughter, Ada. Birthplace information is fairly consistent for everyone in the household except John, who is now reported in the index as born in “Beighton” in Sussex (definitely Brighton when you look at the actual image).

In 1901 the household had changed further. Jane A. Reynard still lived at 57 Green Street in Southwark, but was a widow now. Those remaining at home were her son William and her niece Ada J. Donnelly. Jane was sixty-one years old, William was twenty-nine, and Ada was reportedly seventeen, although she had aged thirteen years in the ten years since the last census. Jane was born at Lambeth, William at Southwark, and Ada at Newington—all in the same London area south of the river. John had died since the previous census. Note that Ada’s last name is different in the index; careful examination of both images makes Doherty the more likely surname.

The 1881 census index shows a boarder in the Reynard household, John Dohearty, born in Leeds. He is a likely candidate for Ada’s father, but until Ada’s birth certificate is located it is difficult to say which of the daughters in the household, Ellen or Jane, is the mother.

Putting Results to Work
The Reynard family census listings illustrate how collected census information can be put to work. Based on the ages of the children, it is possible to estimate the time when Jane was married to Mr. Pellatt and it may be possible to figure out why Ellen Reynard is a year older than Edwin Pellatt in 1871. John was born before the start of civil registration, so his age and birthplace lead to church records, and his inconsistent replies mean two locations may have to be searched.

Pursuing the ancestry of Ada Doherty is an even greater challenge that cannot be assessed until it is known whether her father and mother were married. If they were not, her birth certificate may not confirm the father’s name. In addition, it may be hard to achieve a positive link to a John Doherty in a city with a significant Irish population.

Pitfalls to Watch for
The Reynard family illustrates several traps in census work, particularly in online research. First, names may have been misinterpreted by the modern indexer, who may not have been familiar with English personal and place names. Doherty is a good example; it appears with three different spellings in the indexes.

Also, research based on information from the census can go astray. Ages and birthplaces are not always consistently expressed to the census enumerator and occupations change over time. Spouses change, too, so you must remain alert for clues about a woman’s maiden name.

The example of the Reynard family highlights the necessity of examining the online census images carefully, recording all people in a household and all facts, looking at all returns taken in the life of an ancestor, and selecting likely hits with care. Reaching a conclusion in haste can easily send you down the wrong research path.

Searching the Database
In order to manipulate the search tool at Ancestry.com most efficiently, be sure to work with each return and each country or island separately. For example, search England only in the 1871 census. You can search for a full name, a surname only, or a first name only.

Using the simple search feature, the additional specifying factors are all related to place of residence—county, parish, or district. With the advanced search options, you can increase specifications further according to county or parish of birth, male or female, age, or within a specific document reference. This last option may prove useful when you are engaged in a lengthy study of one area.

Note that the default for surname spellings is “ exact” and the only other option is “Soundex.” Exact is obviously a limiting factor, but if Soundex is not what you want, wildcard symbols are also available. The asterisk (*) represents any number of characters that can be inserted at the point indicated, and the question mark (?) is a substitute for a single letter. The system does not permit you to enter a wildcard symbol in the first three letters of a name. Either of these symbols can be used for first and last names, and Soundex works only with surnames.

Browsing the Census Returns
Name searching is usually the search method of choice, but there are reasons for simply browsing the returns. For instance, you may not be able to find a name in the index, you may want to gather details for a parish history, or you may want to explore beyond the ancestor’s home to gain a better perspective of the area. Browsing the census will help you further any one of these research objectives.

It is not difficult to locate the records according to sub-district, village, or street. At the Ancestry.com home page, select the Search Records tab. Under Census, select U.K. Census collection. Now scroll below the search input box and select the desired census year and region (e.g., Wales, 1871). At the next screen, select the county. This will take you to a list of district names in that area. Simply select the one you wish to search. You will find a list of numbered sections (choosing one puts you on page one of the images of that section) where you have the option to read the enumerator’s description of the area.

If you know the street name or can pinpoint a part of a parish, read through the descriptions of each district with a map close by. It is possible to select the precise section of the census you want to view.

With the convenience of so many census indexes and images now online, the many hours you once spent slogging through records can be spent elsewher e and your research can be accomplished more quickly and efficiently. Now you can spend more time collecting the facts you need to extend a family line and to better understand the environment and historical context of the lives of your ancestors.

Sherry Irvine, CGRS, FSA Scot, is an author, teacher, and lecturer specializing in English and Scottish family history. She is the author of Your English Ancestry, 2nd ed. (Ancestry, 2003) and Your Scottish Ancestry (Ancestry, 1997), and is a regular contributor to several journals.