Genealogy Chat

Honest, at least...

Was it the enumerator or the head of the household being helpful here: Household: Name Relation Marital Status Gender Age Birthplace Occupation Disability Stuart J. FORBES Head M Male 34 (British Subject), Jamaica Isabel F. FORBES Wife M Female 36 Dublin, Ireland Keeping House & Nursing Children Adelaid F. FORBES Daur Female 2 Atherstone, Warwick, England Eating Drinking Sleeping Etc Janet R. CHURCHILL Mother In Law W Female 68 Dublin, Ireland Writing Grace A. CHURCHILL Sister In Law U Female 33 Dublin, Ireland Feeding The Hungry Clothing The Naked Rosa SMITH Servt U Female 23 Appleby, Leicester, England Cook Domestic Servt Sarah E. SISSON Servt U Female 20 Atherstone, Warwick, England Nurse Domestic Servt Sarah SWEET Servt U Female 17 Baddesley, Warwick, England Home & Parlour Maid -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source Information: Dwelling Longstreet Brereton Pl Census Place Atherstone, Warwick, England Family History Library Film 1341730 Public Records Office Reference RG11 Piece / Folio 3058 / 78 Page Number 19

I was looking thro' 1851 cen i think it was of melton the other day and came across an entry, of a child only forename given, but living with a family, from scarborough, aged 5, a foundling, the family in question also had taken in a brother and sister, also orphans, from scarborough, I thought this was really nice, especially as it happened so long ago, it warmed my heart to see it, is the first time i have come across a foundling on a census. Julie

You lucky people... all mine seem to have gone out of their way to be as awkward as possible.

You're right Tim. It would be great if they were all like this. Kath. x

Wow, Tim, that really is beautiful - certainly the best writing I've seen on a census. What a shame the clerk had to spoil it with his marks! Anne

The clearest writing I've ever seen on a census form (actually printing) was done by the chap who enumerated my great-grandfather's brother in 1901 in Wandsworth. If you're interested, take a look at: Source information: RG13/484 Registration district: Wandsworth Sub-registration district: Wandsworth ED, institution, or vessel: 28 Folio: 131 Page: 20 I was so impressed, I looked up the enumerator (John H. Bigley) on the census - it turns out he was a draughtsman. If only all census forms were this clear, we wouldn't have any transcription errors! Tim

Can I nominate the person who did the 1831 census for High littlleton in Somerset and saved his book so we have a record of all the names of head of household and occupation and number of people in the household. I also found one yesterday who recorded an old man of 92 occupation labour done so much nicer than aged pauper or decayed miner.

It wasn't for one of mine but was on the same page. Name, Age, Status, Place of Birth and then in Occupation,,,, Died at 10 of the clock this morning and gave the date...Half a death certificate already for some lucky person :)))) Mind you I did have visions of the body on the kitchen table when the enumerator called round :(( Chris

a few of my favourates that I've seen Name: Infant Hayward Relation: Daughter Gender: Female Where Born: Barton On Humber, Lincoln, England Civil parish: Barton St Peter County/Island: Lincolnshire Country: England Street address: Pasture Road Occupation: Born A Few Minutes Before Midnight Source information: RG11/3290 Registration district: Glanford Brigg Sub registration district: Barton ED, institution, or vessel: 13 Folio: 91 Page: 6 This one is a twin and both are recorded the same: Name: Baby Jordan Age: 20 minutes Estimated birth year: abt 1871 Relation: Daughter Gender: Female Where Born: Bristol, Gloucestershire, England Civil parish: St Philip and St Jacob Ecclesiastical parish: St Simon County/Island: Gloucestershire Country: England Source information: RG12/1980 Registration district: Barton Regis Sub registration district: St Philip ED, institution, or vessel: 8 Folio: 159 Page: 35 Miriam Powell abt 1898 Ystradgynlais, Breconshire, Wales Bastard Great G Daur Ystradgynlais Glamorgan

Can I add one for least helpful enumerator. I've just found a whole parish with no street names and no house names - really helpful! Barbara

I've got one in 1901 where the eldest child is shown as 'ill. son' - I just wonder how he knew?! The householder was literate as he ran his own business, so is that what he actually put on the form?!! Or did the ennumerator decide that this was the best description?! Maz. XX

The returns that make me laugh are the ones started in lovely flowery writing, which then gets worse and worse. Eventually it is taken over - mid page sometimes - by another hand. You can just imagine the family scene 'All right dear?' 'Hmm, getting bored of this' 'Oh dear, let me do some for you then' Anne

That's OK Pauline..not to worry - just a thought as I was wondering what they had written on the cenus!

Sorry Carole it was months ago.I will ask my friend Linda at the weekend if she can remember. Pauline

Pauline You want to laugh at the situation - but it is black humour.... what's the refernce if you have it on hand?

The most unusal one I came across was where the enumerator had committed suicide and had to be finished by another! Pauline

I found a page where the enumerator had written (in large letters) PROSTITUTE for almost all the women on the page, whatever their age! Ahhh! takes me back to the days of trawling through hundreds of pages of censuses, before Ancestry! You certainly got more of a flavour of the area. Anne

I found one today where an unmarried man and woman were in the same household. In the address column the enumerator had written 'COHABITATION'. You could almost hear the sniff of disapproval.

Yes, OK - must have been pretty frustrating putting up with pig-headed people who just wouldn't co-operate - but I hope he got a laugh out of it