Introduction

The 1921 census was conducted on the night of the 19th June 1921 and provides more details than the census that had been run before. In addition to the questions which had appeared in the 1911 census the 1921 census asked for more information about the profession of the people recorded in the house. It asked what materials the people recorded worked in, their place of work and the name of their employer. For those who were over the age of 15 information was asked about their marital status. This included for the first time information about whether a person was divorced. For those under 15 years of age the census recorded whether both parents were alive or if either or both parents had died. The 1921 census also had detailed questions on education including whether the person was in full-time or part-time education. Another first for this census was that individuals in a household could also elect to make separate confidential returns.

The censuses from 1921 onwards were carried out under the Census Act 1920 and the 1921 Census, plus the later censuses, are kept securely by the Office for National Statistics. Currently it will be some years before the 1921 census will be digitised for the projected release online in January 2022.

See 1921 Census Substitute


1921 Census Substitute

The Directories from this period have been fully transcribed to create a searchable database which will allow family history researchers to:

  • Search using a forename, surname and profession
  • Search by street, town and county
  • Look for a business name
  • Discover your ancestors’ addresses
  • Find professions listed