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why would a child be living

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Christine

Christine Report 7 Jun 2008 17:34

with her grandmother and not her parents and siblings back in 1881? Any ideas?

Heather

Heather Report 7 Jun 2008 17:43

Well Chris, was she living there or just there on that particular night when the census was taken? I have lots of kids with uncles and aunties and so on, living just down the road from their parents but staying with their relatives that particular night.

And kids did live with rellies a lot more then anyway. If gran was on her own, one of the elder girls may move in to keep her company, or may be they got a job nearer to where gran lived than their parents, parents house overcrowded and gran has a spare room/bed - lots of reasons really.

Christine

Christine Report 7 Jun 2008 17:44

Thanks Heather, yes maybe she was just there the night the census was taken. thank you :)

Amanda S

Amanda S Report 7 Jun 2008 19:47

This situation wasn't uncommon. My great grandparents had thirteen children. Between 1896 and 1905 they had eight ........ yes, that's eight in nine years.

On the 1901 census, the eldest two, aged five and four respectively, were each living with one set of grandparents, whilst the three year old and eighteen month old babies were with mum and dad. The fifth child, born just days after the census, was sent to live with a childless aunt and uncle when she was a youngster.

It was before the days of effective birth control and sometimes people just couldn't cope with so many births so close together, I guess.