Genealogy Chat

Top tip - using the Genes Reunited community

Welcome to the Genes Reunited community boards!

  • The Genes Reunited community is made up of millions of people with similar interests. Discover your family history and make life long friends along the way.
  • You will find a close knit but welcoming group of keen genealogists all prepared to offer advice and help to new members.
  • And it's not all serious business. The boards are often a place to relax and be entertained by all kinds of subjects.
  • The Genes community will go out of their way to help you, so don’t be shy about asking for help.

Quick Search

Single word search

Icons

  • New posts
  • No new posts
  • Thread closed
  • Stickied, new posts
  • Stickied, no new posts

IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND WHO

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Gwyn in Kent

Gwyn in Kent Report 24 Sep 2012 12:09

Some not in institutions are hard to find too.
No wonder when you have unhelpful employers like the one I have previously noted on these boards.........................

........In the Herefordshire village of Ullingswick in 1901 there are 2 men listed as about 26 and 30, names not known, birthplaces unknown.
Presumably this information, or lack of it, was given by the man they were working for.
I can't understand why he couldn't just ask their names at least. Surely he was paying them a wage. How did he refer to them?


Gwyn

SylviaInCanada

SylviaInCanada Report 24 Sep 2012 06:23

on some censuses you even see patients in hospital listed only by their initials ................... so it is not only people in asylums .



it was all done to protect their privacy.

DazedConfused

DazedConfused Report 23 Sep 2012 12:06

It was done at the time on many census returns to retain the privacy of the inmates and their families on the outside as anyone in an asylum was an embarassment. Not like these enlightened times.

Jonesey

Jonesey Report 23 Sep 2012 09:25

It was quite common to record the inmates of asylums at census time by just their initials. This occurred on earlier census returns as well. Whilst it can indeed be very frustrating there are sometimes clues such as age, birthplace and even occasionally previous occupation being shown that might help to decide whether the inmate might be the person you are looking for.

Often the admission records of such establishments are now stored at local archives and they too might help to discover the full name of an inmate.

DIZZI

DIZZI Report 23 Sep 2012 09:24

THESE HAVE NO SURNAMES

LOST PEOPLE

DIZZI

DIZZI Report 23 Sep 2012 08:08

ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND ANYONE ON 1911 CENSUS HERE
Essex County, Lunatic Asylum, Brentwood, Essex

THE INMATES ARE ALL LIKE THIS
Members: Name Age
E H 26
A D 33
E F S 37
M B 27
M E C 45
F F 21
F M V 45
B G H 26