The 1901 Census Project by Steve Wilkinson.

 

At our June meeting we received a very well illustrated talk on how the 1901 census was transcribed and put online by the PRO (now National Archives) with their partner QinetiQ. Steve, who is the husband of Anne-Marie, our Somerset Vice-Chairman, worked on the project and is thus ideally placed to tell us about the problems involved. The project is unique in linking such a large number of census images to a database of 30 million records on the internet which can be searched by anyone. Searches are free, but there is a small charge to download a transcript or image of a census return.

Firstly, he described the way in which the microfilms of the original returns were digitized. These images were then projected on VDUs at high resolution for transcription. Because the returns were covered by the Official Secrets Act at that time, the initial plan was to use 600 to 700 inmates of of prisons where security was adequate. However, the hours for which prisoners were available proved insufficient, so it was decided to complete the transcription using English graduates at a firm in India & Sri Lanka. When the project went online, It was expected  that no more than ten million would try to access the site in the first 24 hours, but in the event it received 26 million hits which caused it to crash along with banking sites using BT Ignite! So the site had to be taken offline from Jan to Aug 2002 until it could be made more robust. Now the site is working reliably 24x7 and the considerable investment by QinetiQ is being recouped. A number of interesting entries, including the late Queen Mother, were shown. Steve ended by demonstrating a free program Get1901Data which can be used to process searches into as-enumerated order to show family groups. When most of the transcription errors have been corrected, it is hoped to publish the index on a set of CDs.
 
Tony Johnson