Genealogy Chat

Have just recieved a print out of 1911 census for which I am very grateful.
However the info is very misleading. It shows my ggrandmother´s brother with his wife & son & mentions another child who died. All true so far, but no mention that she was his 3rd wife & he had 10 other children (that we know of). Marion

Hi Somersetgirl.
Wasn´t making myself clear. The info on the census is perfectly correct as far as what they were asked for.
What I was meaning was that it would be so easy to take that at face value & not think of looking for previous marriages or other children.
Marion

I had looked at the 1911 previously, and found my g/mother as a widow with one child. Another relative has looked at it this week and noticed what I hadn't - that she had had another child that had died. My mother had 2 half-siblings, not just the one she grew up with. When I asked her about it she was astounded (she's 95!)!

I know they didn't read the info ...

One of mine (well he's my partner's ancestor not mine so I can malign him as much as I want) filled out the form listing ALL of his children - including those who had died.

He started with Lily (who died at under 1 year old) and listed them in order of birth, showing their ages as the age at which they died. Incredibly helpful for me, but the enumerator had crossed all the deceased children out with his purple pen.

Plus, the enumerator had estimated the length of marriage and added that in purple. Completely wrong on two counts - (1) his estimation was based on the year before the eldest surviving child was born and (2) I don't believe this particular couple ever married as have never found a sniff of a marriage cert so I feel sure that my man deliberately left that column blank.

So, even when they get it so badly wrong it can be really helpful - and definitely worth going for the original form ...

Jill