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1881 Census for England, Wales & Scotland

Search for your ancestors in free census records. Discover 30 million people who were living in England, Wales and Scotland on April 3rd, 1881, and reveal a detailed snapshot of their life at the time for free.

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About the 1881 Census

The 1881 census was taken on April 3rd and the total population of England, Wales and Scotland at the time was recorded as 29,707,207. The 1881 Census is free to view on Findmypast.

The First Boer War ended only weeks before the 1881 census was taken, and in January of 1881 Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell formed the Oriental Telephone Company.​

Within the 1881 England, Wales and Scotland census, you will find transcribed images of the original 1881 census pages plus clear images of the original census enumeration books. To find out more about census records read our Getting Started with Census Records article.