It's been difficult to keep this news from Ancestry under my hat for three weeks ... here it is.
Starting Jan 7th, the 1921 Census of England and Wales will be available on Ancestry, the leader in family history, for all individuals with a World Explorer membership.
The census allows people to dive deeper into the lives of their English and Welsh ancestors - which impacts at least 10.5% of the US population according to the 2020 American Community Survey. The 1930 US Census lists over 850K people with a birthplace in England with over 100K of those likely to be found on the 1921 England and Wales Census - allowing Americans to uncover new information about their grandparents and other ancestors just before they left for new lives on the other side of the world.
Conducted on June 19th 1921, the census captures a critical moment in history. It offers a look into the lives of roughly 38M individuals, including those who survived the war and the infamous 1919 flu pandemic. The document also provides an invaluable insight into societal shifts that occurred, including:
- Demographic Shifts: 1.7 million more women than men in England and Wales, largely due to the loss of men during WWI.
- Female Empowerment: The 1920s marked a decade of change for women, with many taking on new roles during WWI and gaining the right to vote in 1918. The census reflects these changes, showing women in various new occupations. Notable figures alive during this time include Virginia Woolf, Agatha Christie and Nancy Astor, among others.
- Detailed & Handwritten Records: For the first time this census includes additional fields such as marital status 'divorced’ and employment details (i.e. name and address of the employer). People can also see handwriting from the head of the household, providing a personal and emotional connection for those researching their family history.
The next England and Wales Census will not be available until 2051 given the records of 1931 were destroyed during the Second World War and no census was taken in 1941 - adding to the significance of this release.
