Manchester 1851 Census...when and how did the water damage occur?

[seemex]

Does anyone know when and what happened to the records. There are references to the fact that they were water damaged, and much of it has now been recovered. When did the damage take place? Why did it happen? Was there some sort of flooding, or just water seepage, dampness in storage etc?
Where were the records kept?
I'm sure lots of you know the answers. Most of what I've found on-line just talks about the restoration project and nothing about the cause of the damage in the first place.
Thanks,
Brian

[crisane]

From this site http://www.1851-unfilmed.org.uk/intro.htm
"Manchester's "Unfilmed" 1851 Census
 Family historians with ancestors in mid-19th century Manchester face a particular difficulty. Following transfer of the enumeration books to the Home Office in London and analysis of the contents, the area where the books were stored was flooded and the books were badly damaged. Some of the books were in such poor condition that it was not considered worth filming them. Others were filmed but much of the image appears blackened and the writing is not decipherable. Since the original books were considered too fragile to permit public access, the returns relating to over 200,000 people were effectively unavailable."
Then
"....project which concluded in 2005 with the publication of the final transcripts. Despite the damage, details of some 82% of the 217,717 persons whom the statisticians had counted had been recovered."

[seemex]

I read that same article and some others, but they don't say when, or where, just that it happened after they were transferred to the home office in London. When were the records transferred? Did the flooding take place at the home office? What years were damaged?

[crisane]

Maybe the Manchester & Lancashire Family History Society can answer your questions.
http://www.mlfhs.org.uk/

Findmypast has a list of the missing portions of all censuses in all years.

[california dreamin]

Does anyone know when and what happened to the records. There are references to the fact that they were water damaged, and much of it has now been recovered. When did the damage take place? Why did it happen? Was there some sort of flooding, or just water seepage, dampness in storage etc?
Where were the records kept?
I'm sure lots of you know the answers. Most of what I've found on-line just talks about the restoration project and nothing about the cause of the damage in the first place.
Thanks,
Brian

Hi Brian,

Perhaps this artilce will provide some addition information for you:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/manchester/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_9229000/9229749.stm

Ray did a marvellous job with this project and even went back over information that was barely legible looking at the local directories to verify some of the names.

CD

Amended:  More here in Ray's words  http://www.tiger2.f2s.com/FamilyHistory/publications/manchestergen/1851_Census_report8.shtml

[seemex]

Quote from Crisane:
 Following transfer of the enumeration books to the Home Office in London and analysis of the contents, the area where the books were stored was flooded and the books were badly damaged.

Ok, so the Home Office was flooded...so now looking for WHEN that took place?