Where can I find census records?

Online

• You can search free all England and Wales censuses 1841 - 1901 at the Ancestry Library Edition web site, available on computers in all Bedfordshire libraries

• The only full census you can search free on the open web is the 1881 census, available on the Familysearch web site

• There is also a site called FreeCEN that is entirely free, both to search and to view records, but it is not yet comprehensive

• On the open web there are sites that enable you to search all the censuses free but you then have to pay to view the census records. See Gateway to the Internet > Family history > Censuses for links to such sites, along with basic site navigation tips where necessary

On CD-ROM

• 1881 census for the British Isles, available at several Bedfordshire libraries

• 1851 census for Devon, Norfolk & Warwick only, available at Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard libraries

On microfiche/microfilm

1841 - 1901 Bedfordshire

• The full set of census records for Bedfordshire from 1841 (the earliest census available to family historians) until 1901 (the last publicly released census) is available at Bedford Central Library

1901 Bedfordshire

• Available at Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard libraries in addition to Bedford Central Library.

1841 - 1901 Local areas

• Flitwick and Biggleswade libraries have the 1901 census for their local areas
• Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard and Biggleswade libraries hold 1841 - 1901 census records for their local areas

Please note that information in census returns on microfiche and microfilm is arranged by area and street, not by name

Click on the place names below to see which libraries hold the census records:

• Return to Censuses for more information