1921 census

[Research Ruth]

I am sure this topic is on here somewhere , but what do people think about the charges for the viewing of the census. Apparently £3.50 for one view of one item. Very expensive.
I have been waiting for this like many others ,but would like to look up multiple people.
It is a bit prohibitive for those in low incomes.

Not only that, people are obliged by law to give this information and then their descendants are charged for it! This is the email I've sent to the National Archives and Find my Past:


"I am absolutely incandescent to find that you have colluded with "Find my Past" to allow them to profit from the information that was given, under duress, by our ancestors. I have made this general point several times - including to Sir Ian Diamond when we were filling in our own census forms last year. 
I resent having to pay a monthly membership fee at all, but I can understand there are costs to be covered and public money is tight, etc. Our local Council also makes the genealogy websites freely available at the central library, which is a good public service when you can get there.
Now I find that, not only is access channelled through "Find my Past", but also they are charging an additional fee for every page of the census you look at.
I have used census information in my working life and I realise that, in the grand scheme of things, providing census information to individuals has to come very low on the list of priorities. But this additional fee is just beyond a joke - it's not the money, it's the principle of the thing! Like a low-budget airline (remember those?) that charges you extra for all the amenities you would expect to be included.
I have looked at your website and am told that I can access the census at Kew, Aberystwyth or Manchester. Has nobody noticed we're in the middle of a global pandemic? I have only been out of the house half-a-dozen times during the past two years, for essential reasons and to be vaccinated. I am a 72-year-old widow who lives alone and have kept myself going largely by my family tree research. I was so looking forward to seeing the 1921 census which will have my parents on it.
You were very reasonable during the lockdown and I have taken advantage of the online access to your records which you made available at that time. 
Why have you allowed this to happen?"


 - let's see if I get any response!

[LizzieW]

Research Ruth

This is nonsense.  I had a talk about this from 6 of the people employed by Findmypast, specifically to work on the 1921 census, and it has taken them over 3 years to produce the digitised 1921 census.  First of all the census hadn't been saved very well and they had to repair many 1000s of pieces of paper before they could even start to digitise and then transcribe all the documents.  If it hadn't been FindMyPast, no doubt National Archives would have chosen another company and then the charges would probably have been even higher.  The same thing happened with the 1911 census and the 1939 register.  In fact, before the 1939 register became included in FindMyPast subscription, I actually paid nearly £40 for one record. 

I'm sorry, but if the cost is a problem, you will have to wait until FindMyPast add the 1921 census to their subscription, which might be another year.

[Jon_ni]

Research Ruth

Did you write back in Jan 2009 about the 1911 one too, an image cost exactly the same £3.50 (likely dearer allowing for inflation) when released?
was 30 credits for each original household page and could buy 60 credits for £6.95.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/jan/13/census-online-archives

People were/are obliged by law to give this information for statistical purposes planning of local and national services and the records were held for 100 years by the Office for National Statistics / Statistics Board - then their descendants are charged for it when they utilise the information for genealogical purposes, which was not the reason for it being conducted.
Our ancestors were also obliged to provide BMD information to the GRO and we have to pay for digital images or copy pieces of paper of that, a common practice worldwide.

http://www2.histpop.org/ohpr/servlet/PageBrowser?path=Browse/TNA%20Census%20-%20Other%20(by%20date)/1921&active=yes&mno=3210&tocstate=expandnew&display=sections&display=tables&display=pagetitles&pageseq=147

[BumbleB]

Apologies Research Ruth - but that is a load of rubbish - someone else expecting/demanding EVERYTHING for NOTHING. 

[Christine53]

I quite agree , BumbleB. If you choose genealogy as your hobby you should expect to pay for it. I would be " incandescent " if I thought my taxes were going to pay for free access to records when there are so many other areas crying out for funding.

[JenB]

Now I find that, not only is access channelled through "Find my Past", but also they are charging an additional fee for every page of the census you look at.

It has been well known for quite some time a) that access would only be through Findmypast and b) that an additional fee would be charged initially for every image viewed.

 

[antiquesam]

Having spent my £2.50 on the only search I needed I'm happy to wait a year or so until the census is accessible through other genealogy sites as it was with the '11 census and the '39 Register.

[coombs]

Research Ruth.

Poppycock. That is all I can say about the email you sent to them. Some people expect everything for gratis.

[linnet27]

I totally understand why we have to pay towards all the hours of work to bring this exciting document to us.  I just wish I could find my Dad and Gran 😩