This week, the 1921 census records were added to Ancestry, making it easier than ever for family historians to see what our ancestors were doing at the start of a decade of turbulent political and social change.
In 1921, one major and relatively recent change was the creation of moving pictures. The earliest known film was captured by Frenchman Louis Le Prince in Leeds in 1888. In 1891, the Edison Company first demonstrated the Kinetoscope, which enabled one person at a time to view moving images. By 1921, cine cameras were used to film news reels and early silent films, and our ancestors would have flocked to cinemas to see moving pictures.
We've picked some of the best early films of Britain in 1921 that capture what life was like for our ancestors.
Charlie Chaplin comes home
One of the celebrities of the new medium of cinema was Charles 'Charlie' Charplin. Born in London in 1889, he began performing on the stage as a child and soon became involved in vaudeville comedy. In 1912, he left Britain for America on a tour and swiftly entered the growing motion picture industry. By 1921, he was one of the world's first major movie stars. This news footage shows him being greeted by crowds of fans on a return to Britain in 1921.
Lloyd George at leisure
In 1921, the prime minister of Britain was David Lloyd George of the Liberal party. Born in Manchester in 1863, Lloyd George grew up in Wales. He served as chancellor from 1908 to 1915, where he supported the passing of the 1911 National Insurance Act, which helped create health insurance for poor workers. He became prime minister in 1916 and led Britain to victory in the First World War. He stepped down as prime minister in 1922 and died in 1945. This film shows Lloyd George's free time in 1921, including playing golf and fishing.
Strike action threatens
At work, Lloyd George faced political crisis. In 1921, Britain was facing an economic depression, high rates of unemployment and spending cuts. The coal mining industry was facing a sharp downturn. In March 1921 the government, which had taken control of the mines during the war, returned it to private ownership, leading to sharp cuts in miners' pay. This caused an industrial dispute between miners' unions and mine owners. The Miners' Federation invited the National Transport Workers' Federation and the National Union of Railwaymen to join them in a general strike on 15 April, but the other unions voted against the strike.
As a consequence, the 1921 census was postponed. Most censuses in the United Kingdom are taken during spring and the 1921 census was due to be taken on 24 April, but it was put forward to 19 June to avoid the disruption caused by mass industrial action. This means that more 1921 census records than usual record our ancestors on holiday.
In this film, government and Miners' Federation representatives leave the Board of Trade building after negotations.
Reservists are mobilised
On 4 April, in response to the strike, the British government declared a state of emergency and mobilised reserve soldiers in the army. This footage shows reservists being greeted as they arrive at a barracks in London.
Music and play
This film captures the lives of ordinary people in a coal mining community during the miners' strike, as children play and a woman plays a lute.
