Charlotte Spear joined us via Zoom for our March monthly meeting just in time to tell us all about the Census taking place on 21st March. Charlotte discussed the various changes that are made for every census with the aim of coping with changes in the population and attitudes. It is possible that 2021 will be last formal census as much of the data which is collected is available in other forms such as tax returns and health and educational records. The first census in the UK was undertaken in 1801 but the records are more complete from 1851 onwards.
The actual records are kept under wraps for 100 years but the data is extracted in order to provide information on where housing, schools and hospitals are most needed. The data also provides important information regarding the age, gender and racial breakdown of the population. The historical records provide much fascinating information for amateur genealogists who are working on family trees too. Charlotte was a delightful speaker with a wealth of knowledge which she happily imparted to the audience.