Genealogy Chat

But can you imagine trying to work out the relationships if everyone has got different surnames? See the senario a couple get married but wife keeps her own surname, child comes along and takes fathers surname. Couple divorce and new head of household arrives adding another surname, his child from first marriage or not as the case maybe with mothers surname. Then possibly third marriage/partnership or child/ren takes partner(s). More babies with different parentage. What about the grandparents/outlaws/other children being there on census night. The mind boggles!!

This thread has really made me think - perhaps I owe my ancestors an apology for screaming and shouting at them when I can't find them? I have been on ahem! six censuses (so far). That covers five counties, and two countries. I have never lived at the same address or even in the same county, on two successive censuses. I have given my birthplace as variously Blackley, Manchester, Lancashire and England, depending on how far away I was at the time.Anyone looking for my BC will be p*** off when they finally find out that I was born in Crumpsall (the old workhouse, actually). During my life I have lived at, I think, 32 different addresses. I went to seven different schools. At some point along the way, my father changed his first name from Edward to Graham. I have had three name changes. My first married name was as common as muck, but if they go on my location prior to my marriage they will assume I married in Scotland to a Scotsman. Totally wrong. My second marriage took place in yet another county, to someone who has a very common name in the area in which I lived previous to my second marriage. But not the county I married in and not the county that we moved to immediately after our marriage. That should keep them occupied for years. I have been variously, Student, Housewife, Accounts Manager, Library Assistant, Self employed and Self employed. I think also I lied about my age once or twice, having told hubby 2 that I was 3 years younger than I really am - it was our first date and I didnt imagine it would do any harm - oh, the strain of keeping it up for 15 years nearly killed me. Yup, I sincerely apologise to my ancestors, you were no worse than me and some of you were a lot better! Marjorie

Joseanne, that will be fun in 2081 (or whenever they decide to release it) Pity I won't be around to find out unless I live to 130!!! Paul

I pity the poor person reading the 1981 census for my household when it comes out, I was 8 months pregnant at the time, not into FH at all, and remember entering down 'bump' ' 8 months'

Name everyone in the household, even if they are not there at that time. No putting visitors. State who your parents are. Anything to make researchers in the furture able to find us. Fern.

Here goes......... How about an 'open access to all info at any time' clause? Or is this too obvious? Marcus

How much you earn in a year, how much tax you pay in a year and the value of your house. Would make interesting reading in 100 years

Anyone with you on census night who doesn't normally live there must provide details of their family and home address That way you'll be able to match up an census strays with who they belong to

Martin That's an excellent suggestion. I also think that there should be an online form which you fill in and choose from a pre-loaded list of first names, surnames and placenames, with an option of adding your own if it doesn't come up. That way there would be no mistranscriptions of Leonard for Lemuel or Emilia for Amelia, Maththews for Matthews etc. If people in 2011 don't have a computer they should be able to a) have a homevisit from an enumerator with a laptop or b) use a terminal in their local library. After the information has been gathered, the government should run a checking programme matching people on the census with their birth/marriage certificates. Anyone who doesn't connect should be highlighted in red and indexed under 'no hope of tracing them otherwise'. nell

The way Blair is going we will probably have barcodes across our forehead and RFID implants by then. Big Brother will know where we are all the time so won't need a census. But seriously I have always thought it would have been useful if they recorded where the person was during the previous census. MB

You MUST state who your children are named after...whether it be your great grandfather or a pop star of the era!

It would be good to have a section asking for a personal description, interests, hobbies and maybe a photo!!!!

You must give your employers name and address if you are working at the time. That way future generations will be able to google in case there is any doubt about that the occupation says!

I intend to put in as much info as I can fit on the form, including all the surnames I'm descended from: Lois Anne Hibbert Cleaver Coates Hunstone Edgely etc, just in case my kids throw out my notes and my great-great grandkids have to start from scratch!

At least let them put where they were born and not just England, I don't think they realised what they were leaving out for the last one. Thank goodness my name is not Brown, Smith or Taylor and a few other well known names. Maybe the person who came up with that idea has already left never to return. Irene

Actually i want to tell fibs....give future generation the round around like my ancestors have me! Jess

You think there's going to be a census, then? As they had a black hole of about a million missing young men, I doubt whether they'll bother with the exercise again. It would be quite nice if they went back to asking where we were born.

Mothers must declare all possible fathers for children

Jess, That's the best one I've heard - what a good idea!! Sam

Think we'll all have a micro chip by then and they'll just scan us............... Jess x