1921 Census: UAG discussions

[Thunder]

You may be interested in this discussion at TNA, the UAG (User Advisory Group) comprises a number of non-TNA people to raise questions on matters relating to TNA with TNA. Paragraph 6 relates to the 1921 Census and FMP. The good news is that FMP should only have the exclusive rights to the 1921 Census for up to three years, having said that on a previous Census they were allowed exclusive use for longer than stated. Personally I don't buy the idea that TNA couldn't have had the digitisation done differently, as we know the transcription (where it is done) is pretty bad and should have been done by people who know how to transcribe. Incidentally I am STILL awaiting a reply from the Information Commissioner's Office on what contact the ICO had with TNA and/or FMP, it is now two months since I heard from the ICO.

As regards document ordering (paragraph 7) it is not true that documents could be ordered up to 4 pm pre-pandemic, it was actually reduced by TNA to 3.30 pm, why have they said this?. We really need to have ordering up to 5 pm on late opening nights (Tuesdays and Thursdays). TNA are still only allowing one-third of the readers pre-pandemic as they still have the plastic dividing screens on the research tables, even though the tables for the 1921 Census have none.

Managing offensive catalogue entries (paragraph 4): This is something I am very opposed too and in my view is just the 'woke agenda'. TNA have told me that in the last three years no-one has complained about so-called offensive descriptions. In my view any descriptions of, for example, the suffragettes should have an entry describing their violent past, what about descriptions of 'Scottish rebels'.

https://cdn.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc ... 022-01.pdf

[AdrianBruce]

I do rather despair when I read among the questions that:

The Public have been misled on the cost of accessing the census with the misconception that as it was tax funded, access would be free.

I have really no idea who this "Public" was, given that people were complaining about the cost before its release, so at least some people knew it was not to be free. Nor did I see any information to the effect that it would be taxpayer funded.

Strikes me there was a lot of wishful thinking going on - followed by complaints when reality didn't match wishful thinking...

And on a couple of occasions, I saw people say "This charging / restriction has never happened beforehand..." So various people, myself included, had to step in with: "This was exactly what happened with the 1901, the 1911 and the 1939..."

Rant over - for the moment

[Thunder]

I do rather despair when I read among the questions that:

The Public have been misled on the cost of accessing the census with the misconception that as it was tax funded, access would be free.

I have really no idea who this "Public" was, given that people were complaining about the cost before its release, so at least some people knew it was not to be free. Nor did I see any information to the effect that it would be taxpayer funded.

Strikes me there was a lot of wishful thinking going on - followed by complaints when reality didn't match wishful thinking...

And on a couple of occasions, I saw people say "This charging / restriction has never happened beforehand..." So various people, myself included, had to step in with: "This was exactly what happened with the 1901, the 1911 and the 1939..."

Rant over - for the moment

Adrian,

I agree, each of the digitised Censuses have had problems, did we have problems before when we had microfilm copies, no we didn't, apart from it not being available to people at home at a cost, which was true if you lived outside London.

[AdrianBruce]

... did we have problems before when we had microfilm copies, no we didn't, ...

Though I remember sitting with the microfilm of the 1841 for Nantwich in my local library, weeping tears of frustration because I could see that this was my 3G GP's family and there was a son in there that I could see was new to me (because I could read the others and that was the full list of the ones I knew). But this was was where the gates of the reader had scratched the film and I just couldn't read the name...

That's one great advantage of digitisation - the filming of a good copy (usually!) that then can't wear out...

[Mick Loney]

That's one great advantage of digitisation - the filming of a good copy (usually!) that then can't wear out...

Sadly that is often not the case, where digital images are over-exposed and unreadable. I’m sure they don’t check the quality of the images as they go, too much of a hurry. I wonder if coloured images would be better, perhaps then we might be able to discern what was actually written!

[Guy]

Adrian,

I agree, each of the digitised Censuses have had problems, did we have problems before when we had microfilm copies, no we didn't, apart from it not being available to people at home at a cost, which was true if you lived outside London.

Not sure why you think people could not purchase microfilm & microfiche copies of census, I have a copy of the 1941 census on microfilm (date on the film 1/11/1981) and many microfiche of relevant sections of other census plus parish registers etc.
Cheers
Guy

PS, microfilms can wear out if not handled correctly they get scratched.