Genealogy Chat

Can anyone come up with a logical explanation as to why one of my rellies is on 1851 census as being born in Hampton, Middlesex, and on the 1861 census as being born a couple of hundred miles away in Churchill, Oxfordshire! The original pages are perfectly clear in both cases. The birth is in 1824 so I can't check on 1837. Thank you. Bev x

A logical explanation is that it isn't the same person lol (well, you DID ask!!) Could you post the 1851 details and the ref for 1861?? Merry

That's far too logical, Merry lol!!!! I am absolutely convinced it is the same person - exactly the same wife and children details in both censuses, living in the same place and he's a chimney sweep on both censuses! I'm at work at the moment, so haven't got the full details on me, that will have to wait till I get home. I was just sitting here pondering on the problem, having nothing else to do!! Bev x

What's his name?? Chimney sweep? That conjours up a picture.......! Merry

If its the same person, then either he or the enumerator must have made a mistake on one of the censuses. I have one relly in my husband's tree who has 3 different places of birth on his census entries, none of which match his birth cert - which was registered under a different name anyway! nell

The name is Benjamin James, living in Ewell Surrey, wife Lucy, eldest child Benjamin. Bev x

On the 1861 census it doesn't give a place of birth on Ancestry, for Benjamin. Kath. x

Just to confuse the issue, I have found this one on the IGI BENJAMIN JAMES Event(s): Birth: Christening: 29 FEB 1824 Colwall, Hereford, England Death: Burial: Parents: Father: SAMUEL JAMES Family Mother: MARY Source Information: Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type: C145811 1660 - 1859 0992142 Film NONE

Was it perhaps a different census you looked at - the 1861 image has a blank space for Benjamin's birth place.

Sorry people, it was 1871 (I should have waited until I got home to this, but I was bored) Bev x

Perhaps he was born in one place but moved to the other when very young - the response on the census could depend whether he was asked 'where were you born' or 'where are you from'. Could also be that his wife or one of the children gave the information and just named the place he had talked about as a childhood home without realising he hadn't been born there.

Maybe it was someone else who gave the information to the enumerator in the 1871 and just guessed at the birthplace. Kath. x

All of these are possible, it's just such a blinkin nuisance because I don't know which one is the right one!!! My gut feeling is for Middlesex, not just because its closer to Surrey, but also because there is no one else on 1861 census born in Churchill with the the surname James. Circumstantial evidence I know; (he could have had 10 sisters!) but in the absence of anything else .................. when is the 1841 census going to on Ancestry?????? Thank you all. Bev x

if you can't come at this problem head-on, then try sneaking up sideways!!: This Churchill in Oxfordshire....... In 1861 there are some other James people born there: This couple live 14 miles from Ewell. Joseph James is a Basket Maker: Ellen James abt 1801 Church Hill, Oxfordshire, England Wife Stoke Surrey Joseph James abt 1809 Church Hill, Oxfordshire, England Head Stoke Surrey This chap, below, is an Ag Lab and single: William James abt 1838 Church Hill, Oxfordshire, England Boarder Kingswood Cheshire I had expected there would be loads of People named James born in Hampton Middlesex, but though there were 10 in 1861 they were all wives or young children of men born somewhere else...... The baps for Churchill are on the IGI. There isn't one for your Benjamin, but then there isn't one for Joseph 1809 or William 1838 either!! UPDATE - I hadn't seen your last message as had to go stick a plaster on child in the middle of typing!! Merry

It is possible that on one of them he just gave the name of the area or village and the enumerator added a county but it was the wrong one? Kate.

Check EACH census - I have one rellie given as born Dunton in 1851, Trunch 1861, Fring 1871, Trunch 1881, dead by 1891. Actually born & baptised Fring. Often depends on who answers the door. Do you know any siblings to help you work round it?

I have nothing else at all, and this is one of my main lines - he is my gg grandfather. I too have this problem with others - I have one large family apparently born in 6 different villages depending on the source of information, but at least the villages were close together! (Thanks for that Merry!! Church Hill ............ I wouldn't have thought of that!) Bev x

Pointless post probably, but after reading this, I just asked my youngest daughter where she thinks I was born. Answer: London Truth: Manchester. So, as the others have said, it really does depend on who answers the door! Olde Crone