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Can anyone explain waifs and strays

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Jane

Jane Report 23 Feb 2008 09:37

Hi - wonder if anyone can help. I have found someone listed in 1861 cencus at an address - all fine. But then on checking records on another site he comes up listed at same address on same census but this time under the heading waifs and strays. There is nothing on census page heading to state this either.
Now I am confused, why was he down as a waif and stray when listed at an address.

Jane

Jane

Jane Report 23 Feb 2008 11:33

ah ha thanks Gary, that would be a thought. I think I will contact them and ask 'how and why' they list people as waifs and strays.

regards

Jane

mgnv

mgnv Report 25 Feb 2008 10:45

Collectionscanada has an online partial index to the 1871 census of Ontario. They index heads and strays - their definition of a "stray" is someone with a surname that differs from the head of their household.

maggiewinchester

maggiewinchester Report 25 Feb 2008 10:50

Would be more sensible and less confusing to call them what they were - visitors/lodgers/live-ins!!!

Researching:
Henry Floyd (g x 4 grandad) Allegedly the heaviest man in England in 1842

lilymoon

lilymoon Report 25 Feb 2008 11:12

one of the sights i was stated that waifs and strays were people that had not been born in that area ??

Chris in Sussex

Chris in Sussex Report 25 Feb 2008 12:07

Another variation for 'Waif and Strays' I have seen.....

A site may be concentrating on a particular village and they have transcribed all the entries for that village over one or more censuses.

They have then looked at the census(es) for the whole country putting in the village name as a place of birth in the search facility, such as is found on Ancestry.

Anyone then found is listed as a 'Waif and Stray'......Away from their 'home' village.

Chris

Researching:
Avatar...My darling Dad. 1931-2019 'Take nothing on its looks, take everything on evidence. There is no better rule' Charles Dickens, Great Expectations. 'A brickwall is a problem that you haven't solved yet' Dave Annal http://media.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php/brick-walls-and-lost-ancestors/