The 1921 census is now on Ancestry

Today we are rejoicing in Local and Family History because the 1921 census is available on Ancestry!  Regular readers will know that you can use Ancestry for free at any Leeds Library as part of our digital offering.  Here’s some reasons why you should be excited about the 1921 census too. It reflects changes in…

Dancing into History

We hear from Library and Digital Assistant Becky Bavill this week, who brings us a fantastic piece that is combines genealogy with a true crime twist… Arthur Morris, son of Samuel and Harriet was born in 1859.  He had 5 siblings.  Although the 1881 census had him working alongside his father in the family boot…

Census – A Vital Family History Resource

Librarian Louise Birch takes a look at how the valuable role the census plays in genealogy. Every 10 years a national survey is undertaken to create a picture of the households and residents of the UK.  This is the National Census, and this Sunday 21st March the next one is due to occur in England…

Census Records on Ancestry

As part of a series examining family history resources for beginners, librarian Helen Skilbeck looks in more depth at UK census records 1841-1921, which can be accessed through the Ancestry website. You can find more information in our research guide. What is the census? One of the most valuable resources for family historians, historic census…

The Manuscript Collection #1: The Armley Enclosure Act & Award, 1793

In the first in an occasional series, Antony Ramm, Assistant Librarian for the Local and Family History department, takes a look at an item in the Central Library’s collection of manuscripts. Many of these manuscripts have not yet been added to our online catalogue, and can only be found in our traditional card catalogue; it…