In the spring of 1921, the British Isles were in an unsettled state. The Irish War of Independence had been fought since 1919 and it was not until December 1921 that the Anglo-Irish Treaty ending that conflict was signed. Britain was also in the midst of a coal miners’ strike. As March turned to April things remained tense. A state of emergency was declared following the calling of the ‘Black Friday’ strike with workers in other industries coming out to support the miners. From the beginning of April there was coal rationing. The census that should have been taken on 24 April was delayed by nearly two months in the wake of Black Friday, with industrial action rumbling on to the end of June.
‘Over 200,000 of Britain’s 1,200,000 Coal-Miners Live in the Famous South Wales District’ from Whiting Williams, Full Up and Fed Up: The Worker’s Mind in Crowded Britain (1921)
A census is intended to be a full survey of the population. In England and Wales a full census of the population had been carried out every ten years since 1841. When the 1921 Census itself was finally taken on 19 June the population of Britain were asked some difficult questions for difficult times. Many men were listed as out of work. It was the first survey after both the First World War and the Spanish Flu and children were asked whether their mother, father or both were living. The population had suffered huge losses, especially of young men in their 20s and 30s. The birth rate had dropped dramatically during the war with so many men away and then many children were conceived as men returned. This was also the first time people were asked about divorce and the workplace of their employer, both incredibly interesting to historians.
You can download a copy of the 1921 Census household schedule for England here, courtesy of the Office for National Statistics website.
1921 Census form. Office for National Statistics.
In 2019, it was announced that Findmypast had been selected as The National Archives' commercial partner to make the 1921 Census of England and Wales available online. Access until October 2022 was pay-per-view when the Census was made available through a Findmypast subscription. Researchers can also view the images online for free at The National Archives in Kew, the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth, and at Manchester Central Library. Access is currently being made available at other libraries and archives.
In terms of issues, Sarah Williams of Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine has said that;
A number of schedules suffered water damage in the 1930s, although only 0.35 per cent of the collection was damaged so badly that it cannot be read. Apart from that, the collection is remarkably complete so if you cannot find an ancestor, it is worth considering mistranscription first. Other options may be that your ancestor was abroad at the time or gave false information. Military personnel, including RAF staff, based in overseas stations were included.[1]
The Scottish 1921 Census was released by the Scottish government-run website ScotlandsPeople in November 2022.
Censuses are fantastic sources for researchers of modern Britain and are especially beloved by family historians. The 1921 Census enables a brilliant insight into life at this time of great upheaval. It is a particularly important source given that the 1931 Census for England and Wales was destroyed in a fire during the Second World War.
Further References and Resources:
Census records - The National Archives
What's interesting about the 1921 Census - The National Archives
Where can I access the 1921 Census? - Portals (nationalarchives.gov.uk)
What does it take to bring the 1921 Census of England & Wales online? | Blog | findmypast.co.uk
Black Friday, 1921 | History Today
Books:
Emma Jolly, A Guide to Tracing Your Family History using the Census (2020)
Peter Christian and David Annal, Census: The Family Historian's Guide (2014)
[1] The 1921 census - everything you need to know | Who Do You Think You Are Magazine
[2] ScotlandsPeople confirms 1921 census still due to be released in 2022 | Who Do You Think You Are Magazine