Hi Nivard, Last year I discovered that some parts of RG9/3779 the 1861 census film for Sunderland were missing, not only from the commercially available CD suppliers' products, but also from the Nation Archive's own films and street index. This covered the area of Arras Lane. So I made contact with the appropriate chap at the National Archives in Kew, close to where I live in West London. I explained that folio 74 indicated the area covered, but that the filming stopped at folio 101 page 50 - Queen Street, and therefore quite a few additional pages are missing. I received the following reply on 6 June 2008: ____________________________________________________________________________ ___ Dear Mr White Thank you for your recent email concerning the 1861 census returns for Sunderland (RG 9/3779). Unfortunately, pages 1-13 of enumeration district 3 (book 2) are missing from the original document. The 1861 returns were originally held in the custody of the General Register Office at Cornwall House. Some of the returns were lost or damaged before transfer to the National Archives in April 1962 and therefore lost pages were never filmed. I am sorry for the disappointing reply. ____________________________________________________________________________ __________ Folio 74 states that Queen Street should be followed by Arras Lane, the north side of Coronation Street from back Grey Street to Baines Lane and the south side of the High Street from Grey street to Baines Lane. This explains why Baines Lane, Queen Street and New Grey Street are in the street index produced by the National Archive as they are not completely missing, but Arras Lane is completely missing. I hope this explains: I am sure there will be other areas where the enumeration books, or pages from the books are missing. Best wishes, Grant White Born Sunderland, now living London, England Always on the lookout for the major shipbuilding families of Wearside.

Hi Grant Quite so, there are many smaller parts of the various census missing for similar reasons I have heard it said that when the original census pages were available to view some unscrupulous researchers would rip the page out and take it with them, how true that is I don't know but would explain further missing pages when they came to scan them For major sections missing, check the Catalogue on the National Archives, enter Missing in the first box and the census year ref in the bottom box, ie RG9 for 1861 it will give a list of those known to be missing Best wishes Nivard Ovington, in Cornwall (UK) > Hi Nivard, > > Last year I discovered that some parts of RG9/3779 the 1861 census film > for > Sunderland were missing, not only from the commercially available CD > suppliers' products, but also from the Nation Archive's own films and > street > index. This covered the area of Arras Lane. > So I made contact with the appropriate chap at the National Archives in > Kew, close to where I live in West London. I explained that folio 74 > indicated > the area covered, but that the filming stopped at folio 101 page 50 - > Queen Street, and therefore quite a few additional pages are missing.