Genealogy Chat

Good afternoon everyone

Ancestry seems to have hidden away the news that it now has the full 1911 census and not just the enumerators' summary books. The downside is that there is no index as yet - the only way of searching at present is by using the summary books as an index.

Best wishes

Kim in Hull

Yes; one can browse image by image.

A recent response from ancestry:
"Unfortunately, I do not have a timeframe to provide as to when the complete 1911 UK census will be available. We currently have many of the enumerator books available, and are working diligently to make the original images written in the household member's own hand available and searchable."

Kim,

Yes Ancestry has had the full 1911 census since May. There were many threads on here at the time.
However, as you say, it is not yet searchable directly, although the Summary Books can be used as an index of sorts. Again many threads on here around that time give tips.

Rob

I only became aware it was on Ancestry this week - I certainly don't recall seeing any ad on Ancestry's homepage. I posted it in case anyone wanted to look at the 1911 who didn't subscribe to FMP....I'm lucky enough to have both at present....and in May, I hadn't even so much as looked at the community boards on here. Sometimes I wish I had not - far too addictive and other folks' queries are far more interesting than one's own...

Best wishes

Kim in Hull

It hasn't been hidden.

The http://search.ancestry.co.uk/group/ukicen/UK_Census_Collection.aspx

page has shown this as 'New' for several months now until very recently.

I phoned Ancestry last week and the man I spoke to said the index would be on-line 1st Dec. I asked why it had taked so long as as other sites [findmypast] has had the index available for over 12 months. He said "They had done it illegally."
I didn't tell him that I didn't believe him!

Ken, Did you specifically mention FMP when you said "other sites have had an index for over 12 months"?
FMP have had the index for that long because they were the people that did all the scanning and had an exclusivity clause, so that no other company could have the rights to offer 1911 for (I think) 6 months after the last of the census pages had been done.
Ancestry have taken this long, as they have had to do the indexing - obviously FMP's indexing is their own intellectual property, so they aren't going to let Ancestry have it.

"FMP have had the index for that long because they were the people that did all the scanning and had an exclusivity clause, so that no other company could have the rights to offer 1911 for (I think) 6 months after the last of the census pages had been done." - yes, after the official site had had the 1911 census, then find my past had it, and six months is correct; after that time other companies were allowed to apply to transcribe the census and then put it on line and this is being done currently by ancestry and by http://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/.

Rob -No, I didn't mention FMP by name, but your expaination, and that of Joy, explains the long delay.

When they said the index be available 1st Dec they were of course referring to this year.

Joan infers it doesn't matter who has the information availabe - yes, but I can't afford the annual subs for both Ancestry and FindMyPast and I'm sure there are many people in the same boat.

Joan
I guess I'll have to write a letter to Santa.

Think public libraries have free access to the FMP 1911 census - I know ours does in Surrey.

An Ancestry subsciption is my birthday present every year. I don't know what I'd do without if :-D

Sue

If anyone's in London and goes to the LDS (Mormon Church) Family History Centre on Exhibition Road (side of Victoria & Albert Museum), there is free access to Ancestry, FMP, The Genealogist and many other sites. I was even able to download wills and a record of service in the Royal Marines Light Infantry from the National Archives and the only charge to me was for the photocopies! They also have a huge collection of parish and other records for the UK

Unfortunately, the centre is closed for a refit and facilities have been moved temporarily to the National Archives in Kew for a few months. Details are on http://londonfhc.org