Subject: 100 year rule
From: Pamela Mon 25 Feb 2008 21:27
I have always believed that census returns should be available after 80 years instead of 100 years. This would make a huge difference to most researchers, and more importantly would enable people who know little about their early background to have at least a sporting chance of finding out about themselves! My father would have loved to know where he was in 1921, but alas it's too late now. That is very unfair. The excuse of 'privacy' is a poor one, especially as there is access to sensitive information widely available on living individuals, which is often sold on. Where is the privacy there? We don't have any privacy now, so why are we worrying about the privacy of the people who lived 80 years ago? And honestly, do you think anyone over the age of 80 is going to worry about it? I don't think so, as most people of that age are keen to find out a few answers before they depart this mortal coil.
Subject: 100 year rule
From: Alan Sun 1 Jun 2008 14:03
I completely disagree that the censuses should be made available to the public 'early'.
When the censuses were conducted, it was on the understanding that the information was given in confidence (I believe that no explicit time limit was defined in the case of the 1911 census, hence the legal challenge). I think we should honour that understanding. The 100 year rule is a compromise which assumes that the information has passed into history (the alternative being to destroy the information so that it always remains confidential). 80 years is too short a time, if there is secret in your life you have not discovered by then, you should not be able to discover it by breaking confidences made within your lifetime.
Family history is a hobby which utilises historical documents which may have survived. I do not think we should compromise understandings made with our relatives purely for the sake of this hobby.
Subject: 100 year rule
From: 100 YEAR RULE Wed 4 Jun 2008 2:58
DEAR ALAN, YOU OBVIOUSLY KNOW ALL YOUR FAMILY FACTS AND HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO NEED TO VIEW ANY HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS.
I DO NOT THINK THAT A PERSON BEING 65 YEARS AND OLDER WHO HAS ABSOLUTELY NO FAMILY
WITH PARENTS ALREADY PASSED WANTING TO FIND WHERE THEIR FAMILY CAME FROM BEFORE THEY DIE IS UNREASONABLE. THE PARENTS HAVE DIED, THE GRANDPARENTS OBVIOUSLY HAVE ALSO DIED.
KNOWING WHO YOUR PARENTS WERE AND AUNTS AND UNCLES IS NOT A HOBBY, ONLY THOSE SNOBS THAT ARE IN NO NEED FOR SUCH INFORMATION WOULD THINK SO.
SEEING AS UK SENT AWAY THEIR CHILDREN WITH NO FAMILY RECORDS LEAVING THEM MOSTLY TO THEIR OWN MEANS IN STRANGE COUNTRIES WOULD SEEM A GOOD ENOUGH REASON FOR THE UK TO GIVE BACK THE INFORMATION TO THOSE FAMILY MEMBERS NOW LEFT BEHIND, WITHOUT ANY PARENTAGE.
LOOKING AT THE 1911 CENSUS IS NOT GOING TO INFRINGE ON THE PRIVACY OF THE LIVING, IT WILL BENEFIT THEM AND ANSWER MANY QUESTIONS AS TO WHERE THEIR PARENTAGE LIES AND GIVE AT LEAST A CLUE AS TO OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO SEARCH FURTHER IN OTHER AVAILABLE PUBLIC RECORDS FOR THE MORE RECENT YEARS FOR THE LIVING MEMBERS OF THAT FAMILY TO HELP FILL IN THE GAPS AND GIVE A SENSE OF CLOSURE TO THOSE WHO DESPERATELY NEED IT.
IF YOU CAN FIND OUT WHO WAS BORN AND IN WHICH COUNTY, DISTRICT FOR 1950 WHY SHOULD WE NOT FIND THE SAME INFORMATION FOR 1911? IF WE CAN FIND ALL THE CHILDREN BORN TO THOSE IN 1950 THEN WHY CAN WE NOT FIND THE SAME INFORMATION FOR THOSE OF 1911??
IF PEOPLE CAN STEAL YOUR IDENTITY WITH A PASSPORT, DRIVERS PERMIT, CREDIT CARD WITHOUT YOU GIVING IT TO THEM, THEN WHY DO WE NEED TO HIDE THOSE THAT LIVED 80 YEARS AGO, OR MAY STILL BE LIVING ALTHOUGH VERY OLD? IF SOMEONE IS GOING TO ABUSE INFORMATION THEY WILL DO SO WHETHER YOU MAKE IT READILY AVAILABLE TO THEM OR NOT.
NOT ALL CIRCUMSTANCES ARE EQUAL AND YOU CAN NOT JUSTIFY HIDING INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE WHO NEED IT WHEN PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO RIGHT TO IT CAN TAKE IT FROM YOU IN A FLASH.
G G-DAUGHTER TO A SOUL BORN IN 1870 AND LIVING IN 1911 IN UK,LOCATION/FAMILY - UNKNOWN.
GRANDAUGHTER TO A SOUL BORN IN 1908 DIED IN 1997 SENT TO CANADA AS A BHC - UNCLAIMED.
DAUGHTER TO A MOTHER WITH A DECEASED FATHER AND NO KNOWN LIVING RELATIVES.
Subject: 100 year rule
From: Jan Sat 2 Aug 2008 3:42
I absolutely agree with the last posting.
Privacy went out of the window when it became so easy for fraudsters to steal anyone's identity willy-nilly. This has been going on for many, many years and it is getting easier for these people all the time, despite the Data Protection Act, Personal Preference Service, shredding anything containing your personal details - there is nothing that will prevent the determined fraudster.
We are watched everywhere we go on CCTV
Government Departments are losing personal details, Local Councils are selling information.
More worrying is the fact that the Government appoints Commissioners for various reasons and when these Commissioners return their findings, if the results don't suit the Government, the findings are ignored!!!
The fact that the Information Commission ordered release of the 1911 now (in 2006) should be enough but the withholding of the information is no surprise as it is all about making money not about the privacy of people who are no longer here to worry about it. In my experience, those that are still with us would love to find out while they are still here and before it is too late for them as well.
My parents would love to have known more about their lost relatives and the 1911 may have given them the information - but it is too late for them now.
I wonder what the correspondent Alan is worried about, are his details on the 1911, or is it just that he would prefer not to know what is there. In that case, don't look!
Certainly I am not and never would be ashamed about anything I have found out about my ancestors.
What is, just is, you can't change the past and why would you want to, it's your history.
Jan
Subject: 100 year rule
From: noel j Thu 7 Aug 2008 0:09
Alan
you are bang out of order as we all are intitled to know who our ancestors where? but again we are made to pay loads of money to various companies for this info and whats more if you had ancestor who may not left a will all their monies go to the greedy government watch heirhunters on BBC sometime?
Subject: 100 year rule
From: Allen Williams (--@--.--) Sat 9 Aug 2008 15:30
I can understand concerns about releasing truly personal data relating to living persons, but the 100 year rule on census information is surely overdoing it.My own parents are both long dead and only one of them would be young enough to be in the 1921 census - and then only by a matter of weeks! My grandparents only just creep into the 1901census and they died twenty to forty years ago. And what information actually in the censuses is truly personal? That you're blind? This will surely be apparrent to anyone who meets you. That you were in prison? Again, surely clear to anyone at the time.No, sorry, can't see why we are denied access to census records other than the most recent. Even state secrets are released under the thirty year rule, and I don't see why the same rule doesn't apply to censuses.
What we need is a sympathetic group of MPs to get the 1920 Census Act repealed!.
Subject: 100 year rule
From: Martin C Thu 21 Aug 2008 13:30
The 1911 census for Northern Ireland has been available for several years. I wrote to the Government and asked how many complaints they had had from people still alive about the release of 'personal' information. The answer was 'none'. I would have no reason to believe that it would be any differnet if the 1921 census, never mind the 1911, was realeased now.
Subject: 100 year rule
From: R.E.Shersby Fri 22 Aug 2008 11:54
Being of U.K origin and living in Australia since 1962 had I known about the petition to reduce the census release date from 100yr to 70yrs I would have gladly signed.
Subject: 100 year rule
From: Julie Wed 27 Aug 2008 0:22
Do something about this stupid rule. Everything has been said before, as usual it is a money grabbing institution, but it would good to be able to complete what is a difficult task, especially when so many ancestors have passed away. Not knowing is the painful thing. Please help. Why not petition Number 10?
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