1921 census

[Gadget]

Would you believe it  - my husband's maternal side have cost me double. His grandfather was still at home in Trowbridge with the elder, working, children but his grandmother had hot footed it to Worcester with the other 9!***** They took ages to find as OH couldn't remember his grandparents' first names and I'd stored away his tree on another PC and external usb sticks. Luckily, his father's side was where I expected them.

***** for a holiday/visit

I've not had any problems finding my line and have even solved a puzzle about a third cousin's marital oddities and offspring before she went to Canada 

I don't begrudge any of the money that I've spent (I'm using a money gift) . As others have said, it has taken considerable time, effort and ££s to get it online. I was once involved in setting up a large medical database  in Scotland so I do have some understanding of the manpower and skills needed.

This is only a hobby after all !! !! !!

[louisa maud]

This  is  my  hobby to, I  don't  consider it a   waste  of any of  my  pension, I  consider it  my  perk, I enjoy  every  minute of it including all the  frustrations and sleeplessness  nights it has given me,  plus if  I  can't sleep, which is often a  couple of   hours on research   or  on  Rootschat and back to bed I  go, I  subscribe  to 2  different  sites, worth  every  penny

LM

[Familysearch]

To Research Ruth:

You don't appear to have been on Rootschat for long.  Maybe you are new to family research?  If so, you will find that, like all hobbies there is a cost involved.

Just be grateful that someone has taken the time to tidy up all the records and convert them into a medium that the people of today can access readily from the comfort of their homes.

Just think of how long it would take you to look through the paper index for the information you want, assuming it was available locally.  Otherwise, a visit to London would be the only option.

I started family research in the days when the only option was to trawl through hand written ledgers at Somerset House. That was births, marriages and deaths.  Wills were stored in another place, and I don't know if the census was available for the general public to search.

Personally, I am content that I can continue updating my family information in my Covid free home!

FS

[antiquesam]

Familysearch

I agree that things are certainly easier now and like all things new there is usually a premium but we do pay handsomely for the annual subscription to the genealogy sites for their endeavours in addition to GRO fees and Scotland People tokens. I assume that FindMyPast are anticipating an increase in subscribers from this operation.

[Jon_ni]

we do pay handsomely for the annual subscription to the genealogy sites

Agreed and Findmypast are better than others at continuing to add new stuff using the funds from that https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new but a project of this enormity (25% bigger than the 1911) can't really fall within that, it would not be a justifiable commercial expense in the eyes of their shareholders. Bear in mind that when Ancestry and others get the 1921 census thay will not be sorting the papers and books, conserving and digitising it, they will be provided with the images which are owned by The National Archives https://www.findmypast.co.uk/help/articles/360017985098-who-owns-the-1921-census- All they have to do is transcribe them.

Just reading the 'Learn More' well worth clicking to expand all the items then reading as explains a lot of the arrangement of the records w.r.t institutions, military and Enumeration Districts https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/1921-census-of-england-and-wales#learn-
Answers a few of the questions asked here after people dived straight in. Ancestry are frequently rather poor about explaining their database collections and one has to look or google elsewhere for background.

[Lisajj]

Interesting comments by members on this subject. Yes, the cost is there and initially looks expensive, but I did some of the free searching and discovered that when you hover your mouse cursor over the link to the scan or transcription page, it comes up with a little pop up box with some info in it. At the top of that box it gives you a few names and then + 4 more, or 3 more for example. For me, I only needed to do this and I had the info of the family members living there.  For example, I know that my gran was only 4 when this census was taken, so I searched for her mum and it says Annie, William, Thomas and 5 others are on this record. So I know that the siblings would all be there and I also have a rough idea of the address. I doubt whether there will be anything else on there that I am desperate to know at the moment, so I didn't pay for the image. However, there was another part of the family where I needed to know who the + 2 were! So I paid for that one.
Just a bit of fiddling here and there gets you the bare bones that may just be enough for now.
As for the actual cost, well, at the end of the day, FindMyPast are a business and they have had to employ and awful lot of people to do this, so I don't have an issue with it. And I am not exactly flush with cash either! So, I'm just making my search list, and then when I find them, make a note and each month I will buy another one or two.

If you want the house address you need to see the transcription as it doesn't appear on the scanned image!

Good luck everyone!

[Guy Etchells]

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.

Sorry but the above is inaccurate, the contract was put out to public tender as required by law and FindMy Past won the tender, they also have to pay a licence fee for that privilege

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.

Your local Council may make the genealogy websites freely available but you still have to pay the search fees they are not free on your council website. Does your local council provide access to other hobbies free of charge such as motor racing or horse racing or even fishing, I very much doubt it but those housholders in your council area pay for your interests, do you not concede that is unfair on them?

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!

They have allowed it to happen because they had to the benefits were part of the contract, if any other company had won the tender they would have won the same or similar benefits.
The National Archives do not have the expertise or the funds to digitise, transcribe and host a website to provide the 1921 census, which is why it was put out to tender. Cheers
Guy

[jane k]

this has already been mentioned but is obviously being missed by many people - this is how to find the home address

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=857098.msg7257453#msg7257453

[BumbleB]

Lisajj - If you have purchased the image of the entry, then you can see the address by either using the > next image function, or via the filmstrip where you can choose "Extra Materials" and then "Front".  "Plans of Division" equates to the Enumerator's Walk.  This additional information is available at no extra cost.