Fire is destructive, dangerous and life-changing. This was particularly true decades ago before documents were digitally stored. Here we look at the fire that destroyed the 1931 United Kingdom Census.
The 1931 United Kingdom Census
The 1931 United Kingdom Census was carried out on 26th April 1931. Northern Ireland did not conduct a census in 1931 because one had already been conducted there in April 1926. With the addition of a question about everyone’s normal residence as opposed to where they were on that particular night, the questions asked were similar to those in 1921. London served as the repository for the census data for England and Wales, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man. Scotland’s census results were kept segregatedly in Edinburgh.
The Fire
In December 1942, while in storage at the Office of Works in Hayes, Middlesex, during the Second World War, the census for England and Wales was destroyed by fire. This incident was not related to enemy activity. This fire had no impact on Scotland’s 1931 census.
Due to the Second World War, no census was conducted in 1941; however, the National Registration Act of 1939 register, which was taken in its place, captured many of the same details as the census and was made available to the public on a subscription basis in 2015 with some redactions. This register’s significance has increased in light of the destruction of the 1931 census.
The fire completely destroyed the returns, timetables, enumeration books, and plans. The census had been protected with numerous measures, all of which were unsuccessful.
No 1931 or 1941 British Censuses?
Due to World War II, the 1941 UK census was not conducted. In contrast, a National Register was created by The National Registration Act of 1939 “for the issue of identity cards.” On September 29, 1939, a census of the population was conducted. It included data on “all persons in the United Kingdom at the appointed time” as well as “all persons entering or born in the United Kingdom after that time.” England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man were all part of the United Kingdom.
In roughly 7,000 transcript books, forty million people were recorded. These offer a reliable replacement for the 1941 census. These details were sought on the schedule: Name, sex, age, occupation, place of residence, marital status, membership in the reserves or auxiliary forces of the armed forces, the navy, the air force, or civil defence.
There aren’t any censuses for 1931 or 1941, which answers the question in the title, yet all is not lost. For 1941, there is a substitute census that we will all become accustomed to and rely upon.
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