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24 April 2009

1851 census - three new counties

The counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire* and Berkshire**, comprising over 459,000 records, have been added to the 1851 census and are ready for you to search.

Notable names

Among the notable names contained in the new records is Herbert Giles, a prominent sinologist and British diplomat to China. He would become only the second professor of Chinese (after Sir Thomas Wade) at the University of Cambridge. At the time of the 1851 census he was five years old and lived with his parents, two siblings, and two servants in Bampton, Oxfordshire. The head of the household was his father, John Allen Giles, who described himself on the census return as a Doctor of Civil Law and author. (Click the below image to enlarge).  

New images, faithful transcriptions

Each of the new records comes freshly and faithfully transcribed from original documents, and is accompanied by newly scanned high-quality images.
More counties will follow soon.

Find your ancestors on the 1851 census now

*The registration district of Buckingham is still being transcribed, and will be added in summer 2009.

**The registration districts of Andover and Kingsclere are still being transcribed, and will be added in summer 2009.

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