Genealogy Chat

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After many problems finding people on census records, to make things easier for rellies trying to trace us in 100 years time, perhaps when the next census is taken new rules could be introduced: 1) All persons to remain at their home address on the night the census is taken 2) All persons to provide proof of date and place of birth 3) No person shall give their middle name or nickname in place of the name they were registered with Anyone got anymore?

Think we'll all have a micro chip by then and they'll just scan us............... Jess x

Jess, That's the best one I've heard - what a good idea!! Sam

Mothers must declare all possible fathers for children

You think there's going to be a census, then? As they had a black hole of about a million missing young men, I doubt whether they'll bother with the exercise again. It would be quite nice if they went back to asking where we were born.

Actually i want to tell fibs....give future generation the round around like my ancestors have me! Jess

At least let them put where they were born and not just England, I don't think they realised what they were leaving out for the last one. Thank goodness my name is not Brown, Smith or Taylor and a few other well known names. Maybe the person who came up with that idea has already left never to return. Irene

I intend to put in as much info as I can fit on the form, including all the surnames I'm descended from: Lois Anne Hibbert Cleaver Coates Hunstone Edgely etc, just in case my kids throw out my notes and my great-great grandkids have to start from scratch!

You must give your employers name and address if you are working at the time. That way future generations will be able to google in case there is any doubt about that the occupation says!

It would be good to have a section asking for a personal description, interests, hobbies and maybe a photo!!!!

You MUST state who your children are named after...whether it be your great grandfather or a pop star of the era!

The way Blair is going we will probably have barcodes across our forehead and RFID implants by then. Big Brother will know where we are all the time so won't need a census. But seriously I have always thought it would have been useful if they recorded where the person was during the previous census. MB

Martin That's an excellent suggestion. I also think that there should be an online form which you fill in and choose from a pre-loaded list of first names, surnames and placenames, with an option of adding your own if it doesn't come up. That way there would be no mistranscriptions of Leonard for Lemuel or Emilia for Amelia, Maththews for Matthews etc. If people in 2011 don't have a computer they should be able to a) have a homevisit from an enumerator with a laptop or b) use a terminal in their local library. After the information has been gathered, the government should run a checking programme matching people on the census with their birth/marriage certificates. Anyone who doesn't connect should be highlighted in red and indexed under 'no hope of tracing them otherwise'. nell

Anyone with you on census night who doesn't normally live there must provide details of their family and home address That way you'll be able to match up an census strays with who they belong to

How much you earn in a year, how much tax you pay in a year and the value of your house. Would make interesting reading in 100 years

Here goes......... How about an 'open access to all info at any time' clause? Or is this too obvious? Marcus

Name everyone in the household, even if they are not there at that time. No putting visitors. State who your parents are. Anything to make researchers in the furture able to find us. Fern.

I pity the poor person reading the 1981 census for my household when it comes out, I was 8 months pregnant at the time, not into FH at all, and remember entering down 'bump' ' 8 months'

Joseanne, that will be fun in 2081 (or whenever they decide to release it) Pity I won't be around to find out unless I live to 130!!! Paul