Do you have Essex ancestors? | Essex Voices Past

Are you researching your family history? Do you have Essex ancestors? Genealogy can be a fascinating – if not frustrating – hobby. But there are lots of little known resources that can help you with your genealogy, ancestry and family history. For example the first four censuses that took place in England from 1801 to 1831.

Did you know about England’s first censuses? It is widely believed by many family historians and local historians that the first census of England and Wales took place in 1841.

But it did not.

The history of English censuses

The first census took place on Tuesday 10 March 1801 – following the previous year’s Census Act of 1800. Censuses then took place at 10-yearly intervals. The only break when a census did not take place was during the Second World War – in 1941.

Essex ancestors and the early censuses 1801-1831

The first four censuses (1801, 1811, 1821, and 1831) were concerned with the country’s statistics and population. But not so important to the powers-that-be in these years were the precise names/occupations and addresses of individuals.

Details of each place were collected locally by the parish. Each parish using its own variation of methods for the collation. Then the official information was sent off by the parish. Leaving behind much of their working documents (often just rough drafts, schedules and lists).

These working documents were then often destroyed by the parish. However, in some places, this very early census information was kept – normally in the parish chest.

Over the years, surviving early census information has been deposited in county archives and record offices.

How can you access censuses to find your Essex ancestors?

By using the Essex Record Office’s listings, I’ve compiled a list of all the surviving early census records for our county. Village by village, you can determine if census records for your early nineteenth century ancestor’s parish have survived.

And, if they have, how much information you can glean from ERO’s holdings.

Get you free eBook – Essex’s Censuses 1801-1831

Click the image above to get your FREE ebook on Essex’s censuses 1801-1831. If you have Essex ancestors, then this book may give you a helping hand to tracking down your Essex family history and genealogy.

Let me know if you find anything useful to help the Essex branch of your family tree!

You may just find you do have Essex ancestors!

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