In a message dated 10/07/2004 02:58:43 GMT Daylight Time, ke4mvk@earthlink.net writes: Now I have a couple of questions...how far back do the census records go? Are they on micro-film? the census starts 1841 and was taken every 10 years ..the lastest which is open to the public is 1901. They are all available on microfilm (via LDS fam hist centres or Scottish local libraries) The GRO(S) has also enabled a website _www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk_ (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk) to make them available online. This site is fee paying and at the moment only has 1881,1891 and 1901 available but later this summer it says it will have indexes and images for the other censuses....for the whole of Scotland For Galloway The 1841 census has been indexed and published in one booklet per parish and these can be bought from the Fam hist society (9 Glasgow St Dumfries DG2 9AF) The 1851 (the earliest to contain ages, relationships and birthplaces parishes) for Galloway is available online (free) at _http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/services/depts/comres/library/census_search.asp_ (http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/services/depts/comres/library/census_search.asp) Until the scotlandspeople site gets organised there is no index for 1861 and 71. There were earlier, very basic, censuses than 1841 ...namely 1801,11,21 and 31 but mostly these have not survived. In a tiny number of Scottish parishes they still exist ..one of those parishes is Annan. Irene