Genealogy Chat

It's worth remembering that what we see is not the original, it is a transcription and the originals were destroyed. Daughters of a visitor/servant are listed after the said person usually but not always with an indicator whose daughter they were. I have two cases where the children apparently have the Head's name but were not his. I also have a case where the children were his but in one census are listed under mother's maiden name! This might be the case of OC's local knowledge but head and wife were married. Did the enumerator have inside knowledge to know they were not the Head's? Sounds like somehting for a good book of fiction to me! Clive

hmmmmmmm thanks for that OC, very interesting, shame they do it all by post now, would o quite fancied that job, although i think from trawling, they should have checked everyones hand writing first! hehehee Quite god fearing foke round here, loads o churches so could well have been the case R

Rebecca Yes, census enumerators were drawn from the local people, who would often have knowledge of what was going on in a household and might not have been able to resist a sly poke at someone. Or maybe a jobsworth, stood on the doorstep, saying, 'Now come on, Mr Bloggs, you and I know very well she isn't your wife, she is your mistress. You are aware that there is a fine for telling lies to the enumerator?' and the poor cowed man would tell the truth. OC

if she was the house keeper her children wouldnt show up as his daughters though would she? Maybe she was his mistress and had his children and bided her time till they were able to live together??? Were the people that did the census local officials? Would they possibly have background knowledge of the people at the properties they were visiting?

Michael Why let facts get in the way of a good story? That said the question of dau with or without an addition is one I have often encountered. Like you say subsequent census returns will show up whose dau the person was (and that is cheaper than getting a birth certificate). Clive

Well, never seen this one before.... been looking at houses on the internet and one of the ones on our list I noticed was built pre 1881. Our current house in theory should show up in the 1891 and 1901 census but we cant fnd it, or our village. Anyway, found the road this ones on in 1881 and looking at all the people who lived there and came accross.... Mary Fielden aged 33 and her 3 children, who were living with head William Duckworth also aged 33, and Mary shows as his Mistress! Her 3 girls, who have her surname, do however show as his daughters. All living at Cuckoo Hall, Bankside Lane, Lancashire - Not come accross that one before, has anyone else? Class: RG11; Piece: 4126; Folio: 89; Page: 27; Line: ; GSU roll: 1341987.