1911 UK Census

I found this link for the 1911 UK Census, http://www.1911census.co.uk/, via one of my friends on Facebook. For those who have ancestors living in England in 1911, this is the site for you.

Although it is a free search, you do have to buy "credits", that will allow you to view, print and save the pages you are interested in. This site looks to be a collaborative effort between the genealogy provider, find my past.com and the UK National Archives.

The site does provide some interesting information about the 1911 census. On the page, About the 1911 Census it says that a large number of women, suffragettes, refused to be counted because of the government's refusal to give women the right to vote. The page goes on to say,

"There were two forms of protest. In the first, the women (or their husband) refused to fill out the form, often recording their protest to the enumerator. In the second, women evaded the census by staying away from their home for the whole night."

Very interesting. Basically, in either case, the woman will not show up on the census. Those who protested may have something recorded on the census about their refusal. The site further states that although it is unknown how many women refused, it is estimated to be in the thousands.

A bad piece of luck for genealogists but what a powerful statement by our foremothers. Another reason why knowing a little about history is vital in doing your genealogy.