1921 Census for England and Wales free to view at Manchester Central Library

Photo: Google, DigitalGlobe

Manchester Central Library at St Peter's Square

Rochdale residents with a keen interest in their heritage can now discover more about their family history, thanks to Manchester Central Library.

Earlier this month, the library made the 1921 Census for England and Wales freely available for visitors to view using Findmypast, becoming one of only two places in the UK to do so.

The 1921 Census will prove to be extremely valuable to genealogists, after the 1931 Census was destroyed in a fire, and the 1941 Census was cancelled due to World War Two.

Councillor Luthfur Rahman OBE, deputy leader of Manchester City Council, said: “The release of the 1921 Census is truly a historic event, opening a truly unique window into the world 100 years ago.

“We are extremely proud that Manchester Central Library has been recognised as the one place apart from The National Archives where the Census will be freely available to research.”

The 1921 Census is also described as the most revealing record set up to that time, as it recognises divorce and employment details for the first time.

Dr Valerie Johnson, Director of Research and Collections at the National Archives, said: “We understand the excitement and anticipation of this release and, by making the census available online, we are hugely increasing its accessibility, while also preserving the original paper for generations to come.”

There is no charge to use the internet at Central Library if you are a Manchester Libraries member.

It is free for anyone who lives in the UK to join as a library member.

These records would normally cost £2.50 for each record transcript and £3.50 for each original record image.