1926 Census

rafferr · 29-08-2011 9:34pm #1

Last night I was intrigued to hear one of the genealogist on the RTE show 'Genealogy Roadshow' that the release of the 1926 census would going to be released under the Programme for Government. Delighted by this revelation, I found this article on the Irish Times website:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0401/1224293540872.html

Perhaps some of you out there have additional information on the release of the 1926 census???

pinkypinky · 30-08-2011 9:36am

Yeah, it's in the program for government but I'm not terribly optimistic about an early release. A completed Metro for north Dublin was in Fianna Fail's 2002 PFG....

What I'm trying to say is that it's all well and good to aspire to have this released early, and I do think it would be relatively easy to redact information relating to our oldest citizens, the government has precious little money to spend on things like this. We may well get it early, but a single day earlier than 1st January 2027 would still be considered an early release. It took 7 years and 4.5m to get the 1901/1911 census online (and I won't go into the rake of errors therein here) and they were already microfilmed. AFAIK, the 1926 is just in paper format still.

I won't be holding my breath.

In the meantime, if you are looking for ancestors who moved around during that tumultuous period of our history, the best bet is electoral registers. Some are online (like a few for Dublin via Pearse St's library) but most are accessible in county libraries.

owenc · 30-08-2011 1:29pm

Whats that mean? IS THE 1926 census going to be released!? :eek: YAY! MY grandparents are in that!

Dun · 30-08-2011 2:13pm

From what I understand, the 1926 Census for Northern Ireland was pulped for paper by the UK government during World War II

owenc · 30-08-2011 2:41pm

Oh crud I forgot ! Aw well 1931 is there that's both my grandparents!

Dun · 30-08-2011 5:55pm

No census took place in NI in 1931. There was a census-lite in 1937 (due for release in 2038), and none in 1941 because of World War II.

owenc · 30-08-2011 10:37pm

Well I think the 100 year rule is stupid because there will still be people alive who were in the census even right now there's people alove who were in the 1911 census

pinkypinky · 30-08-2011 10:56pm

Well, that law was made a long time ago when it was exceptional to reach 100.

Tangent - it's fun to look on the census for people +100, there's loads, but I bet plenty are wrong:

1310 +/-5 years 100 on 1911
53 +/-5 110 years
13 +/-5 115 years

504 people aged 100 or more on 1901.
One man on 1901 claims to be 122!
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Errislannon/Drimmeen/1370106/

rafferr · 30-08-2011 11:11pm

Looks like Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú has put the Bill for the amendment Statistics Act of 1993 back on the Order Paper for the Seanad, this is the amendment required to release the 1926 census.

http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/bills/2011/3011/b3011s.pdf

owenc · 30-08-2011 11:33pm

pinkypinky wrote: »

Well, that law was made a long time ago when it was exceptional to reach 100.

Tangent - it's fun to look on the census for people +100, there's loads, but I bet plenty are wrong:

1310 +/-5 years 100 on 1911
53 +/-5 110 years
13 +/-5 115 years

504 people aged 100 or more on 1901.
One man on 1901 claims to be 122!
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Errislannon/Drimmeen/1370106/

Yes i seen that, i think that they should do the census data right up until 1940 and then stop. I can see where they are coming from because i'd hate people looking at my private information, i don't think the government should have some of that stuff its none of their business. A statistical count is alright but not personal stuff like religion, job, are you married etc.

flemishgael · 05-05-2014 11:32pm

It would be great if the 1926 Census could be released early. It is arguably the most important census in Irish history as comparing it to 1911 census can give us a great insight in that very turbulent period in history. If only those that make the laws would agree.

jos28 · 06-05-2014 11:50pm

Anyone know what date the census was taken in 1926. My late Dad was born on 9th June that year and I was wondering if he will be on it

shanew · 07-05-2014 7:53am

18th April 1926

see General Report on the 1926 Census (CSO)

flemishgael · 07-05-2014 2:59pm

shanew wrote: »

18th April 1926

see General Report on the 1926 Census (CSO)

you beat me to it.
I'm currently writing a book on defensive structures in the Owenabue river valley and it would be good to compare the 1911 Census with the 1926 one as there were/are a lot of RIC barracks nearby as well as other military establishments to protect the harbour of Cork against invasions. After 1912 a lot of these were concentrated around Spike Island of course, but the protestant ascendancy also abandoned certain houses and moved to others and some families just completely disappeared. Plenty of evidence already, but the Census records would be the smoking gun that provides conclusive evidence.
Guess it will have to be for a second edition print in 2026 though.

jos28 · 07-05-2014 3:47pm

Thanks Shane, he won't be on it so but dying to see what the rest of the family were up to. From a different point of view I am looking forward to seeing what the men who returned from WWl were doing in 1926. So many of them found it difficult to find work on their return, it will be interesting to look at their occupations (if any) in 1926

flemishgael · 07-05-2014 4:00pm

jos28 wrote: »

Thanks Shane, he won't be on it so but dying to see what the rest of the family were up to. From a different point of view I am looking forward to seeing what the men who returned from WWl were doing in 1926. So many of them found it difficult to find work on their return, it will be interesting to look at their occupations (if any) in 1926

Like most of the nation I would say most of them are unemployed or forced to emigrate.

Waitsian · 07-05-2014 4:30pm

So we may just wait the 12 years so.

I'll be 55. Touch wood I'm still around.

jos28 · 07-05-2014 4:50pm

flemishgael wrote: »

Like most of the nation I would say most of them are unemployed or forced to emigrate.

So true, I did a bit of research in that area for an undergrad thesis and from what I found the only ones who found any sort of permanent work were those who went back to Guinness or the railways.

flemishgael · 07-05-2014 10:07pm

jos28 wrote: »

So true, I did a bit of research in that area for an undergrad thesis and from what I found the only ones who found any sort of permanent work were those who went back to Guinness or the railways.

The very same seems to be true in Carrigaline, the primary subject of my dissertation. Most men worked as farm labourers on the estates around Carrigaline, worked as tradesmen, fishermen, or were unemployed and moved away. It is amazing how many of the landlords even during the war of independence held on to their extensive holdings. Many of whom, moved abroad to their other estates, collecting rent in Ireland. The very same thing is true in Lismore, where the duke of Devonshire still owns large tracts of land in counties Waterford and Cork, and has quite a substantial income in rent from Irish tenants and farmers.

jos28 · 07-05-2014 11:16pm

flemishgael wrote: »

The very same seems to be true in Carrigaline, the primary subject of my dissertation. Most men worked as farm labourers on the estates around Carrigaline, worked as tradesmen, fishermen, or were unemployed and moved away. It is amazing how many of the landlords even during the war of independence held on to their extensive holdings. Many of whom, moved abroad to their other estates, collecting rent in Ireland. The very same thing is true in Lismore, where the duke of Devonshire still owns large tracts of land in counties Waterford and Cork, and has quite a substantial income in rent from Irish tenants and farmers.

Sounds fascinating, it's amazing how things have changed in such a relatively short space of time. Hope you let us know when it's finished and give us a chance to read your work. Best of luck with it

flemishgael · 08-05-2014 12:00am

jos28 wrote: »

Sounds fascinating, it's amazing how things have changed in such a relatively short space of time. Hope you let us know when it's finished and give us a chance to read your work. Best of luck with it

Will do.
The first book about Martello Towers in Cork Harbour is available on amazon.
Working on a few other projects as well.
In my opinion little has changed. Ireland is a republic and autonomous but its land is still largely owned by foreigners and Ireland is in many ways more British now than it was under the empire.

Alfasudcrazy · 24-03-2015 12:47am

So when is the 1926 census going to be released. I read the post about the prospect of us having to wait 15 years but what the basis of that is did not seem clear from reading all the posts?

Waitsian · 24-03-2015 8:32am

2026, so 11 years. Seems the civil service are digging their heels in so it looks like the 100 year rule will apply unless there is legislation passed to change that.

pinkypinky · 24-03-2015 10:30am

Actually, it's 1st Jan 2027 technically.

Censuses have a 100 year seal in this country. Special exemption was made for the 1911 and 1901 but all subsequent are subject to the 100 year rule.

Jellybaby1 · 24-03-2015 10:34am

I'm really hoping for an early exemption again, or I have to make sure I'm still around when I'm 75!

Waitsian · 24-03-2015 12:03pm

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

I'm really hoping for an early exemption again

Given the furore over the Civil certs index I really can't see it but I suppose you never know. The next Northern Ireland census to be released is 2040!

pinkypinky · 24-03-2015 12:58pm

But to play devil's advocate a little here, what do we hope to find on the 1926 census?
I know where every member of my family was in 1926. Some small points will be of interest - exact addresses, etc. I will be excited to see all my grandparents on the census, none were yet born in 1911.

This led me to wonder exactly what was asked on 1926. I found this very interesting paper given by Sir William J Thompson, then registrar-general,in advance of the census taking which details it all.

They knocked out the question on ability to read and write, and the deaf/dumb/blindness question.
They expanded the marriage/kids question to ask about orphans and other dependents. There's something about whether both parents are still alive too.
The question on Irish language was expanded, as was details on occupation.

He also notes that special lessons were given to schoolchildren in the week before the census was taken. Machines were employed for the first time to gather statistical data.

I'm way more excited about it now than I was at the start of this post. 12 years is a long time to wait. Let's get lobbying again.

Jellybaby1 · 24-03-2015 2:49pm

I have a couple of missing people in my tree and the 1926 census might tell me if they were still in the country or if another was still single.

L1011 · 24-03-2015 6:00pm

It'll give me some better ideas for working down a few lines that have gone cold due to women who probably got married - some have fairly unique names and a search of county of birth + first name + age will give me a decent set to go search for marriage certs on. This will be particularly interesting on my mother's surname as I still suspect everyone with it is probably a relation...

Its not going to get me any further *back* most likely; but you never know - I've often found automated record matches from god knows where on Ancestry when "killing off" someone with a valid date of death etc.

catbear · 24-03-2015 7:19pm

A few years ago while talking with an old guy in the countryside near me he told me about his father facing down a priest who was trying to close their open house. Later though he said the priest got his revenge in the 20s when he got everyone locally to shun the family until they switched from CofI to catholic. I checked the 1911 census and the CofI is confirmed.

I had a colleague tell me that her grandparents had been Jewish, they too are on the 1911 reg but she didn't know when or why they became Catholic. I guess the quiet life was the optimal.

These were poor people, not rich or living off others.
I wonder how many other forced conversions there had been in that period.

SherHist · 19-04-2015 11:41am

I'm really hoping the get it out early - it should help solve a big family mystery (where a relative went to live after the death of her mother).

We've done a huge amount of work on our family tree but this particular relative is proving very tricky.

Alicat · 19-04-2015 12:09pm

Potentially a massive part of my Grandmother's history. Born in prison to a criminal mother in 1924, and turns up in an orphanage in 1930. The 1926 census could offer an insight into what happened to her and her mother. My father is chomping at the bit in anticipation!

L1011 · 19-04-2015 5:38pm

I've got a mystery of a brother of my great grandfather flitting back and forth between Ireland and the US - he married an Irish woman from the same island in Scotland then used to come home and impregnate her every so often. His own son hadn't a notion where he died (and his grandson less - I've provided more info to him than he ever had) but if I can tie him down in '26 it'll be a huge help and if I can't I know to start digging at lines in the US '30 census.

SherHist · 19-04-2015 6:06pm

Well there is an election and a very important centenary next year - time to start annoying the relevant political heads

Alfasudcrazy · 26-04-2015 10:48pm

The 1926 census is of interest to me as my Dad who was born in 1923 died recently and he never spoke much about his family or ancestors so alI I have to go on is little snippets of information he told us down the years. The 1901 and 1911 census were great to get the basics before he was born. I found out that my great Grandfather and great Grandmother met when they worked together in what must have been a big farmhouse. She was a maid and he was a farmhand. I suspect though that the information on both those census's is a bit sketchy and possibly not complete as there is no mention of my great grand uncles in either. They all went off to WW1 and were never heard of again - at least that's what my Dad told me.

pinkypinky · 27-04-2015 10:10am

If the uncles were over say 16, they easily could be living and working elsewhere or be in the army already.

Something I mentioned further up the thread, about looking forward to seeing where my family was living later in the 20th century.

If your ancestors were in Dublin then the recently increased set of electoral registers (1908-1915 & 1938-1964) on dublinheritage.ie might be of use. I've just figured out when a couple of people died, based on their omission from the register and have sent off for death certs to confirm.

blackbird 49 · 13-01-2016 6:37pm

Was just wondering as the 1926 census will not be released till 2027 can you go and view it about your own family in the national archives, Thanks

L1011 · 13-01-2016 7:33pm

blackbird 49 wrote: »

Was just wondering as the 1926 census will not be released till 2027 can you go and view it about your own family in the national archives, Thanks

No, its protected by the Statistics Act currently which the 1901/11 ones never were - hence how you could view those at the NAI well before the online version.

1926 Census

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