The United Kingdom National Archives serves as the official repository for government documents for the United Kingdom, England, and Wales (NAUK, n.d., About Us). For British history enthusiasts and genealogists researching historical subjects, the online resources of the National Archives is a great website to explore useful information and resources.
Similar to the US National Archives, the archivists in the UK have prepared many useful tutorials and guides on researching family history.
Census Records
All census records from 1841 to 1911 are available online for England, Wales, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man. While some partner sites provide free index searches, other commercial sites may charge and accessing digital images typically requires a subscription. Census guides provide additional information on researching census records for Scotland, Ireland, overseas British army, and other topics. Census surveys are conducted every ten years and records are held for 100 years by the Office for National Statistics before being made public. The National Archives guide reviews information available on people and places by census year, layout of census records, common abbreviations, and other information to help researchers understand records (NAUK, n.d., Census records). In addition to commercial genealogy sites like Find My Past, Family Search, and Ancestry, the FreeCen project also provides free searches of ongoing transcription of census records from England, Wales, and Scotland.
The embedded video below provides information about using census records for research (National Archives UK, 2017, April 12):
The Register
According to the National Archives UK, two decades of population history was lost due to World War II, as the 1931 census was destroyed in a fire and no census was conducted in 1941. Because of this, "the Register provides the most complete survey of the population of England and Wales between 1921 and 1951, making it an invaluable resource for family, social and local historians" in England and Wales (NAUK, n.d., 1939 Register, sec. 1). During the war, the Register was taken to produce identification and for rationing. The National Archives guide provides information on where researchers can look for populations not included in the Registers (Scotland, Northern Ireland, and military personnel), what information is included in the Registers, and restrictions on access (NAUK, n.d.). Digital images are available on partner website Find My Past with a subscription, and the original Register books are maintained by NHS Digital, formerly the National Health Service Central Register. The National Archives UK has the 1939 Register included in its catalogue with additional information.
The National Archives UK provides a wealth of information for genealogists researching family history in the United Kingdom. Additional subject guides can be found for immigration/emigration, merchant vessels, military service, and the various kinds of records useful for historical research.
References
National Archives UK. (n.d.). The National Archives [website]. Retrieved from https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
National Archives UK. (2017, April 12). Census records: an introduction [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV8tesBmxZo&t=6s