Finding Our Past Within The 1921 Census
In this extract, Peta Stamper reveals what the 1921 census tells us about life after World War 1.
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After a century kept under strict privacy laws, 100 years of history were revealed with the release of the 1921 Census of England and Wales. The National Archives and the website Findmypast have carefully conserved and digitised the details of 38 million people to tell the stories of our families, communities and workplaces.
Surveyed in the wake of World War One, the 1921 Census was characterised by the trauma of war, shown through demographic change. Some 1 million servicemen never returned from the war in 1918. As a result, the 1921 Census shows a marked increase in the ratio of women to men aged 20-45 (the demographic who went to war) with 1,096 women to every 1,000 men.
The 1921 Census not only provides us with big picture statistics. Through personal details and individual responses, we gain a window into life after the war. Such details show us that those who returned were not unaffected by their wartime experiences. One particular entry completed by typewriter instead of ink as the official instructions requested. Alongside this form was an note that poignantly illustrates how conflict effected returning servicemen: “I regret not being able to fill out this form in ink as directed, but I lost half of my right hand in the war.”
Other comments refer to Prime Minister David Lloyd George’s promise for a postwar ‘land fit for heroes’. Despite this promise, the census reveals that in 1921 there were not enough homes for returning soldiers and their families, with 13.7% of the population living 2 families per dwelling and 6.1% with 3 or more families.
The 1921 Census was also the first survey in which more than one question had been removed. First, the question about women’s fertility (asking how many children a married woman had) was replaced in 1921 with one about orphanhood (asking children under 15 which of their parents remained alive).The ‘orphan question’ once again reflected demographic changes brought by World War One, with many children having lost their fathers during the war and mothers to the Spanish Influenza pandemic that struck in 1918.
There is a 100-year privacy rule on each census, which allows people to trust that the information they provide will likely not come back to haunt them during their lifetime. This embargo also means researchers must wait a decade before each census is released. However, we will not see another census until the 2050s. Why? Unfortunately, the 1931 Census was lost during a fire in 1942. There was no census taken in 1941 because of World War Two.
From the 1921 Census we can also see the many similarities between life 100 years ago and our lives today: distrust in politicians, concerns about work, a pandemic. These people aren’t just our ancestors, they’re us, in so many different ways. Like many of us, the people of 1921 adored their pets. Census forms from 1921 have been found with the names of pets listed among human family members, including ‘Tarzan’ the cat. One form that is missing a corner even features a note claiming the “dog did this”.
Census – A study of the population which is made every 10 years.
The wake of – Just after
Demographic – How the population is made up
Poignantly – Sadly
Spanish Influenza – A pandemic which tore across the world after World War 1.
Embargo – A ban
Tells us how much data there is in the census.
Describes how the population changed after WW1.
Explains that many returning soldiers suffered life-changing injuries.
Describes what the Prime Minister promised those who fought in WW1.
Proves that there was a housing crisis after WW1.
Explains why orphanhood was such a widespread issue after WW1.
Explains why there will not be another released census until the 2050s.
Suggests one way in which the people of 1921 were similar to us.
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