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English Census Street Index

Urban England has a finding aid for the English Census records called a "Street Index". It may take several reels of microfilm to cover a single parish. If you know the street the ancestors lived on, you can find which specific microfilm to order from the Family History Library (LDS). The street should be on a vital records marriage entry.
  1. In the Family History Library Catalog, LDS, do a keyword search on "Street Index". If the keyword searh at http://www.FamilySearch.org is not available, your library branch will have the catalog on CD. You can also purchase a copy of the catalog CD on their web site.
  2. Click the hyperlink for the desired year 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901.
  3. On the "Title Details" tab, under "Contents", will be either a "v. 1.", or "Vol. 1." This stands for volume 1. Following this are the parishes on volume 1. Following that, are "v. 2." or "Vol. 2." followed by its parishes and so on for each volume. Find your parish, then go back to find the associated volume.
  4. Click on the "Film Notes" tab of the catalog. Find the required volume number. Look across to get the fiche number for that volume.
  5. Your library branch should have the street index fiche. The number gives you a packet of several fiche. You will find that if you start at the beginning of the first fiche and follow along in sequential order, the parishes are in the same order as listed on the "Title Details" contents.
  6. First find the parish on the fiche, then the street. A street might be split up, so in some circumstances you need the house number or name.
  7. Find the "RG" number. Write down the "Folio" number so you can find the census entry when you get the tape. Go back on the fiche to where the parish starts. You will find a list of "Bundle Numbers" and their associated microfilm numbers. The second number after the slash of the RG number is the "Bundle number" key to get the required film number to order.