General Chat

Just noticed another Government e-petition regarding the release of the 1921 census. The petition closes 18/8/2012 so worth signing NOW at
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/13043

Just been on and signed really quick and easy, can't do any harm in trying can it ? I did not know the 1931 census was lost nor that the 1941 wasn't taken (but that makes sense of course), so this information will be useful.

I have just signed. I was unaware that the 1931 census has been lost. It seems very odd to me. Was there a fire or is something being hidden from us??

Perfectly understandable about the 1941 census.



Bridget

What about the people - and there are some - who are still alive who may not want their details on the census returns in the public domain. My uncle was born in 1918 and his cousin in 1917.

Sue

I will not be signing,

The 100 year closure is for good reason and although it would be handy for research purposes when the census forms where filled out it was on the understanding that they would not be open to the public (100 yr closure )

How would you feel if the government decided to release documents about you having promised not to for a set period of time?

My aunt who is now 102 years old was very upset when she found out that her family details from the 1911 census were available online,

I no that not many people live that long but plenty live into their 90's my wife's grand father was born in 1914 and is still going strong, he on the other hand was quite interested in the 1911 census,

after all their are other ways (although difficult) to research your tree without using census

Roy

I have had a look and signed.

All our details are on file and it seems there is no privacy any more, there was an artical a couple of weeks ago in one of the papers.

Not only could all personal details could be found out, name age adress etc, everything else was as well including the Ladys family and medical info.
Now that is a worry

Teresa

Teresa, you appear worried about the amount of info already available?

Yet you, Had to sign for more info to be made available?

That does not make sense :-S

Roy

Speaking for myself, I would love to be able to see my details on the Census if I lived long enough. I recall reading somewhere that the Queen Mother was shown her family's entry on the 1901 Census when that was released, and she was delighted.

I just don't see why somebody would object to people knowing where they lived and who they lived with 90 years ago. But that's just my opinion!

Matt

Matt - with due respect - it's ok that you would like to see your own details but what if I didn't want my details seen.

Sue

Okay excuse my ignorance...what hidden column in the 1911 census ?

Ditto what Sue and Roy said.

C - the hidden column in the 1911 census:

http://www.1911census.org.uk/
"The details recorded for each person were:

Name and surname
Relationship to head of family
Age - this was recorded in separate columns for male and female
Marital condition
Number of years married (present marriage, question only answered by married women)
Number of children born to present marriage, number that are still living, number who have died. (again present marriage, married women only)
Personal occupation
Industry/service with which worker is connected
Employment status
Birthplace
Nationality (if born in a foreign country)
Infirmity, one of deaf, dumb, blind, lunatic, imbecile or feeble minded. The age at which the "infirmity came on" was also required. This information is considered personally sensitive and will not be available until 2012."

Thanks Joy !

This Government and those which have preceeded it have given far too much of our personal details away and I have objected to that strongly.

As much as I would love to find the answers I believe the 1921 census would give me I don't feel able to sign this. It's not about being worried about the info in it but how can I, simply for my own interest that serves no greater good to myself or others, ask for this rule to be changed.

I'm also with Sue in that I wouldn't be happy about my details available to the general public - bad enough that so many companies can get them now - but for them to be available to people I went to school with just because they had paid a few pounds to access them? No thanks.

And PigletsPal also has it spot on.

There are people who have for whatever reason, created a different life for themselves far away from where they started or the circumstances in which they were born. We may not agree with or even know why they did it but we have to respect them. Like PigletsPal says, we are talking about products of the late Victorian/Edwardian era when attitudes were so much different.

To us doing our tree we don't experience the same emotion when we find out that we actually had an ancestor who was committed to an asylum but what if that was my grandmother's sister and my gran knew nothing about it until some family history stranger looking for kin came looking for her?

Matt, you raise the subject of the late Queen Mother being interested in seeing her famiy on the 1901. The Bowes Lyon family were no stranger to secrets. I wonder how much she knew and how distressed she was when the story broke about her own close kin. This article shows clearly the attitudes of the time. I'm all in favour of the truth being known and seeing what the 1921 holds but maybe we don't quite need to know it yet.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20020407/ai_n12575854/

Jill

Agree with Sue and Roy. People were told by the government that the information they gave would not be revealed for 100 years. What, or how sensitive, the information is/isn't is irrelevant. The government made a 'promise' and it should be kept.

David, posted this thread at 31 Aug 2011 23:45,
When i first looked at the petition at about 09.30 this morning 24 people signed the petition,

I just checked and 27 have now signed at 14.53 1st sept

I think only 3 signatures in that time and over 70 members have viewed this thread shows the level of support and that's just on GR

If next year it looks like gaining momentum then i may start a Petition to stop the 1921 census from being released early

Roy

Roy, I think for any petition to have an impact on the government the number of people signing would have to run into the millions. I don't think your opposing petition will be needed.

This has been a popular subject over recent years, and I've read many a debate about it on here and other sites.

The way I understand it is....Regardless of opening it early, the way the law currently stands is that the 1921 Census won't be opened at all.
Perhaps we should petition for it to be opened in 2022 and be thankful if THAT is agreed :-)


K

ChAoTic, me to,

They have to get i think 100,000 signatures for the matter to be looked into/ could be debated in the House of Commons



Roy

I will not be signing the petition

Whilst I would dearly love to be able to see the 1921 census, I can see perfectly why we cannot. Data protection would say that it should only be used for the purposes if was originally taken and that would not have been for family history yet, as regards family history, I would love it to be made available.

On the subject of the last column on the 1911 census, I tend to think that the details of that column should not be made available. I think they are confidential information and should remain so and not too sure how beneficial they would be to geneaology anyway.