Ancestry.com is announcing on their Web site that the 1851 census of England and Wales is coming soon. Part of it is actually already online, however. Thanks to the active Bristol & Somerset mailing list, I spent part of this past weekend exploring the 1851 England Census, as well as the 1851 census for Wales, Isle of Man and Channel Islands. Not all areas appear to be online yet (this is just a preview site), so if you don't find your ancestors now, be sure to visit again once the 1851 British census is officially launched by Ancestry (available to subscribers only).

The 1851 British Census is the only British census that wasn't already available online. The 1841 census can be searched through a subscription to British Origins, and the 1861-1901 censuses can be accessed through several different subscription sites.