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 Poll
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| Question: |
Do you think (as I do) that more recent census details should be made available
| Reduce the time to 50 years |
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   33 (66%) |
| reduce the time to 20 years |
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5 (10%) |
| make all census available now |
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12 (24%) |
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| Total Votes: 50 |
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Author
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Topic: Census and the 100 years rule (Read 2178 times)
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Nick29
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 2886
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50 years would do me fine, would be happy with that 
As a 35 year old, I suppose you would be 
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Best Wishes, Nick. Research interests: Field - Luton & Islington Hole - Somerset, Suffolk & Surrey Farnish, Parker, Cattermole, Last, Wasp, Church - Suffolk Lewin/Lowin/Lowen - Hertfordhire Martin - Eltham & Greenwich, Kent (London) Stead - Greenwich, London (Kent) & Maidstone Wood - Hertfordshire Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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Guy Etchells
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1103
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Census records must be considered as one of the thousands of Public Records kept by our government.
This being so the access to census records must be viewed in association with the access to other public records.
The keeping and access to most other public records has been determined since 1838 by the various Public Records Acts (PRA).
Under the PRA 1958 Public records transferred to the Public Records Office (National Archives) could, in the main, be accessed after 50 years.
This period of fifty years was reduced to thirty years by the Public Records Act 1967 and finally repealed by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
This means that many highly classified and even records (when created) classified as Top Secret records may now be now freely accessible.
Birth, Marriage and Death records are available to the public from the day they are created. The full electoral register is available for the public to access from the day it is created. Why should census be treated differently?
While access to most records was being relaxed access to English census records was being tightened.
The 1841 census was released after 70 years with the 1851 being released after 60 years.
In 1871 the census officials in London divulged the names and addresses of all children 3-13 and their parents to the London School Board to help enforce compulsory education.
Only six out of the 15 pre-1910 United Kingdom censuses have been closed for 100 years.
The details of nine out of 15 have been released after less than 90 years. (Source Hansard 29 March 2004).
The truth is with the advent of digitisation of records and the ease of manipulation of digital records there is absolutely no excuse not to allow access to census records within ten years of the census being taken.
Sensitive personal information can easily be redacted from the digital copies whilst still keeping the original copies untouched for future generations.
If Parliament had been told the truth about the assurances given at the time of the census and the date the 100 year rule was introduced instead of lies and miss-information, we would have access to all census within a few years of it being taken.
Cheers
Guy
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Nick29
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 2886
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The full electoral register is available for the public to access from the day it is created. Why should census be treated differently?
Because the census reveals the relationships within families, where the Electoral Roll does not ? I concede that this information could be built up from many hours work with the BMD records, but is it a good idea to serve this information up on a plate at a knock-down price ? To unscrupulous people who seek to make money by building up files on people in order to steal their identity, this sort of information would be a gift, and I would not want to make life any easier for them. For the majority of people, most of the information contained on the 1921 to 2001 censuses can be obtained by other means, with a little more work.
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Best Wishes, Nick. Research interests: Field - Luton & Islington Hole - Somerset, Suffolk & Surrey Farnish, Parker, Cattermole, Last, Wasp, Church - Suffolk Lewin/Lowin/Lowen - Hertfordhire Martin - Eltham & Greenwich, Kent (London) Stead - Greenwich, London (Kent) & Maidstone Wood - Hertfordshire Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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stonechat
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1577
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Hi
US Censuses run 70 years I think
They released much more sensitive information with the WW1 records now online - records showing someone on my tree had a 'social' disease.
I can't help thinking that things will not move in this direction
Bob
p.s. being born at the end of 1951, the first census that will show me will be released will be the 1961 census, on 1st Jan 2062!
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Douglas, Varnden, Joy(i)ce Surrey, Clarke Northants/Hunts, Pullen Worcs/Herefords, Holmes Birmingham/USA/Canada/Australia, Jackson Cheshire/Yorkshire, Lomas Cheshire, Lee Yorkshire, Cocks Lancashire, Leah Cheshire, Cook Yorkshire, Catlow Lancashire NOTE I have moved my website to http://www.cotswan.com |
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stonechat
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1577
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I am not sure people even take the census seriously
With Jedi Knight being entered as a religion by many!
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Douglas, Varnden, Joy(i)ce Surrey, Clarke Northants/Hunts, Pullen Worcs/Herefords, Holmes Birmingham/USA/Canada/Australia, Jackson Cheshire/Yorkshire, Lomas Cheshire, Lee Yorkshire, Cocks Lancashire, Leah Cheshire, Cook Yorkshire, Catlow Lancashire NOTE I have moved my website to http://www.cotswan.com |
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Nick29
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 2886
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It's OK - Facebook records will come to the rescue !
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Best Wishes, Nick. Research interests: Field - Luton & Islington Hole - Somerset, Suffolk & Surrey Farnish, Parker, Cattermole, Last, Wasp, Church - Suffolk Lewin/Lowin/Lowen - Hertfordhire Martin - Eltham & Greenwich, Kent (London) Stead - Greenwich, London (Kent) & Maidstone Wood - Hertfordshire Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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Guy Etchells
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1103
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The question in the poll is academic anyway as legally no census taken under the 1920 Census Act can be released for public access ever.
It would require a change of law to allow access in 100 years just as it would require a change of law to allow access in 50 years.
Cheers
Guy
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GOODDOG
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 60
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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can you tell me what is the difference between the 1911 census and the 1920 census that means you can never get to see the 1920 one no matter how long one lives. why was the decision taken to withold all of the 1920 census. some big scandal. 
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