Welcome to the Dunbartonshire Free Census Project. This project is part of the UK Free Census Project (FreeCEN). For more information on this project and how to get involved, please read the Project FAQ.
Transcription is now complete for both the 1841 and 1851 census. With many thanks to all the volunteers who through their dedicated work have made this possible.
Volunteers still needed
If you are interested in helping with another county or parish in Scotland, please see the FreeCEN Scotland Website. Or contact one of the Scotland Coordinators: and
To volunteer, all you need is access to a computer with a spreadsheet program and a means of viewing images supplied on CD (Irfanview is a free image viewer used by many). Neither do you have to be based in the UK. For more information about becoming a volunteer, please contact me, .
Volunteers are advised to look at the information and help on FreeCEN Scotland. It’s also recommended that you check the National Library of Scotland website for a 19th century map of your area — see the links to the right.
1841 summary
Records online
Population online:
45,794
Percentage online:
100
Parishes online
Parishes online for 1841 with the initials of the transcriber → checker → validator
492
Arrochar
VF → EH → BM
493
Bonhill
NY → BP → NY
494
Cardross
TM → ?? → NY
495
Cumbernauld
BP → CM → NY
496
Dumbarton
TM → EH → BM
497
Kilmaronock
VF → EH → BM
498
Kirkintilloch
RM → EH → BM
499
Luss
VF → EH → BM
500
New (East) Kilpatrick
— part Stirlingshire RD, MG → EH, BP → BM, ??
501
Old (West) Kilpatrick
NY → BP → NY
502
Roseneath
EH → BP → NY
503
Row
AW → BP → NY
1851 summary
Records online
Population online:
46,690
Percentage online:
100
Parishes online
Parishes online for 1851 with the initials of the transcriber(s) → checker(s) → validators(s)
Following the establishment of the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) in 1855, parishes were numbered in alphabetical order within a county. The numbering was then applied retrospectively to the records from the 1841 and 1851 Censuses. This sometimes causes confusion when parishes are known by more than one name.
A prime example is the two Kilpatricks. Look for them under their 1855 prefixes: New (rather than East) and Old (for West).
