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The information gathered will help plan and prioritise resources and
public spending on housing, education, health and transport services
for years to come.
However,
Anna Sexton, archivist at Peterborough’s Central Library, said:
“Census records are also an essential source of information for
people researching their family histories. By filling in their 2011
Census form correctly people will be leaving a valuable legacy to
future generations who want to research their ancestors.
“The
information recorded on census forms will be added together to
provide total numbers of the make-up of Peterborough’s population,
leading to the allocation of government funds. Specific family
details will remain confidential for 100 years.”
Anna’s
comments have been echoed by two local family history enthusiasts.
Retired teacher and local authority education officer Michael
Kennelly is a frequent user of census records as he researches his
family history. He said: “I became intrigued by my own family
history around 50 years ago as a result of listening to family
stories as a child.
“In those
days, of course, we didn’t have the benefit of online resources and
I spent many hours examining written records in dusty volumes filed
in buildings, usually in London.
“So far, I
have succeeded in tracing my mother’s family back to the 1500s and
my father’s line back to the 1830s, when I believe my great
grand-father moved to London from Ireland.
“Family
history research has become my hobby and accurate census records
have been invaluable,” said Mr Kennelly, who was head of English at
Orton Longueville secondary school and headteacher at Eye primary
school before becoming an education officer and then working in a
teacher training college.
Ewan
Cappitt – a member of the Peterborough and District Family History
Society – also appreciates the value of census records. “I first
became interested in my family history as a teenager and started
collecting information from gravestones,” he said.
Along with
other members of the society he helps transcribe baptism, marriage
and death records from sources such as Peterborough Cathedral and St
John the Baptist Church so that they are available to other
researchers.
“Once
census records are published online they become a valuable resource
to family history enthusiasts who may now live all over the world,”
he added.
The
Peterborough archives service provides a wide range of resources for
family history researchers, including free access to specialist
databases. In addition, it provides training courses – usually
consisting of five, three-hour sessions on successive Monday
evenings – for budding researchers.
A national
census has been held every 10 years (except in 1941) since 1801,
with names of individuals introduced in 1841. Forms, complete with
an individual barcode, will be mailed to each household and, for the
first time, people will be able to complete their details via an
online form.
For more
information about the 2011 Census visit:
http://2011.census.gov.uk.
For
information about temporary census jobs visit:
https://censusjobs.co.uk.
For
information about the Peterborough and District Family History
Society visit:
www.peterborofhs.org.uk.
January 2011 -
Peterborough UK Community Website
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