Further details of a family can be uncovered by examining the records of the Census...

A census has been taken in Britain every ten years since 1801, with the exception of 1941. The 1841 census is the earliest to be of use to family historians, recording name, approximate age and occupation. The 1841 census also recorded whether or not each individual was born in the county they were living in. From 1851 onwards the census returns usually record the exact place of birth of each person. The census is subject to a 100-year confidentiality ruling and currently the 1901 census is the latest that can be searched.

Census returns are particularly valuable as they record information on all members of a family in residence at that time, allowing a wider family tree to be compiled that may show brothers and sisters and sometimes aunts, uncles or even grandparents. The information obtained from census returns and birth, marriage and death certificates can often lead researchers to earlier records of the family. The most important of these are parish registers.

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