Genealogy Chat

"This country is besotted about keeping things secret, generally things that are hardly a risk to the ' National Security '"

I don't think it is a question of National Security, it's a question of law & personal security/sensitivity.

Rollo is right.
The 100 years rule is enshcrined by Act of Law

Here is part of the response to the e-petition for early release of the 1911 Census.

"The Government understands the frustrations this delay can cause, particularly to people who are researching their family history. But these frustrations have to be balanced against the assurances given to people at the time about confidentiality. This also has implications today, for public confidence in the privacy of information which people provide in future censuses.

Clearly, the importance of the personal information provided in the census is that it enables a detailed and accurate picture to be built up of our society. This is of great assistance to Government and to the community as a whole in helping shape policies and set priorities for the future. But unless people believe that the personal data they provide - which includes details of their occupation and who is living with them - will remain confidential and secure as they have been promised, the danger is that they might feel reluctant to give sensitive information.

It is for this reason that there is a policy of a 100-year delay before releasing the personal data in the census. The purpose is to minimise the risk of embarrassment both to those living and to their immediate descendants. The Government does not believe this policy should be altered or the explicit assurances given to people at the time broken.

You might like to know, however, that the 1911 census was not taken under this Act. The census returns are held by the National Archives, not the Office for National Statistics........"

Needless to say, I will not be signing.

Jeremy

I have signed the petition for one reason only This country is besotted about keeping things secret, generally things that are hardly a risk to the ' National Security '
:-D

Leaving it till 2021 gives us something to look forward to. Unless you die before then :-(

Only 99,800 to go.

I shall certainally sign it thankyou for letting me have the link

;-)

"There is in fact no need for all the names and relationships - I surmise that they were added as a way iof ensuring the veracity of the census. Census prior to 1841 did not bother with names (1841 was not the first). "

Hi, just for info, there were some areas prior to 1841 that listed some names albeit not in the same format as they were in 1841. (and not all records survive)

ie Norfolk: Great Bircham - 1811 Census

http://www.origins.org.uk/genuki/NFK/places/b/bircham_great/census1811.shtml

ie Wigan

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~copestake/lanwigan1811cen20022.html

ie Maghera, Derry, Ireland

& probably some other areas too :)

lol Denis, I was just about to say that :) I'm blessed with some Scottish ancestors :)

Does anyone know where their ancestors were in 1931?

Sticking to facts, the 1931 census for Scotland is quite safe and will released at the normal time.

Isn't that a different issue Irene? A bit of a red herring?

It isn't really fair on people who completed it in good faith. I would be far from amused if someone released the census records early that were completed when i was born just because someone wanted to know for the benefit of their "hobby".

I was quite happy for Scotland to release the 1911 census on time rather than early like their English counterparts and I had more to gain from the Scottish census.

Petitions for this have been done before and have been rejected.

A promise is a promise. I would not sign such a petition, and I would not look at the census if it were to be released early.

Although I have not signed yet I bet all you who say you will not sign would still look at it if it was released early

I don't believe in it. Where would it end? with the 2011 census being released? It's just not right.

I say to keep it at 100 years before it is released.

Much as I would like to see the census, it seems totally wrong to me that information collected on the basis that it shouldn't be made public for 100 years should be released early.

If that could be done then why not release the 2011 census?

With increasing life expectation perhaps 100 years is not long enough.

Whilst I do not have any strong views either way, I will not be signing the petition.

sharonlondon.

incomming uk passenger list is avaliable on another site to cover that year and this may give a clue to origins if the person is on it.

There was a debate sometime last year about the early release of 1921 census.

All I can say is my mum who was born in 1921 has no problem with the early release of the census as she says any skeletons were long since ousted and done with and would love to see the 1921 census.

Linda

I didn't realise there were Census petition threads - but if the response so far is anything to go by they're probably long gone!!

Mick - The person I need info on wasn't born here so the BMD is of no use. I know he arrived here in 1920 & who he married in 1921 but as you know there is no mention of nationality on a marriage or death cert. That's the info I need to progress.

You can already work out the relationships for most families in 1921 or later by cross referencing the BMD's

I will not be signing it