Free service will give 'fascinating snapshot' into Hampshire life in the early 20th century

Next month will see the 1921 census become accessible at all county council libraries in Hampshire and the county’s Record Office in Winchester.

Executive member for countryside and regulatory services Councillor Russell Oppenheimer said: ‘The latest available census data offers a fascinating snapshot of life back in the early twentieth century, so I am delighted that we can now offer free access to this information at libraries and at Hampshire Record Office.

‘Through the 1921 census we can get an insight into a time when people were adjusting to life after the trauma of World War I and the aftermath of a devastating influenza pandemic. Through the click of a button, we can search for information about our own family members, our street or neighbourhood and this is all now available without charge.’

As well as providing valuable information for genealogy enthusiasts, highlights from the document provide insight into the lives of famous historical figures from the region.

Alice Hargreaves who inspired Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ was living in Lyndhurst aged 69 in 1921. Artist George Edward Marston who accompanied explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton to the Antarctic was working as a teacher in Petersfield.

The free service comes following an arrangement made by the County Council and online census database provider FindMyPast.

The next available census won’t be released until 2052 as the Second World War led to the destruction of records from 1931 and no census was taken in 1941 due to the ongoing conflict.