Genealogy Chat

Absolutely no idea, Hugh!

I was hoping some other bright person might come up with a theory.

Thanks ArgyllGran, but this shows how transcription errors can occur. Emma's name is definitely Strafford, and Marann is definitely Marion. But "Mary Jane Middle" is nothing like "Emma Strafford", and the question is, how did one name get entered instead of the other?

Hugh

Posting the census for the reference of any helpers, Hugh:

Mary J Middle
in the 1901 England Census
Name: Mary J Middle
Age: 62
Estimated birth year: abt 1839
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Female
Birth Place: Sandbach, Cheshire, England
Civil Parish: South Manchester
Ecclesiastical parish: All Saints
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Registration district: Chorlton
Sub-registration district: Chorlton upon Medlock
ED, institution, or vessel: 08
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 3693
Folio: 139
Page Number: 27
Household schedule number: 170
Household Members:
Name Age
Mary J Middle 62
Samuel Carden 28
Jana Carden 28
Albert Carden 8
William Carden 7
John Carden 5
Amy Carden 6/12


Emma Wafford
in the 1911 England Census
Name: Emma Wafford
Age in 1911: 72
Estimated birth year: abt 1839
Relation to Head: Mother-in-law
Gender: Female
Birth Place: Sandbach, Cheshire, England
Civil Parish: South Manchester
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Street address: 17 Devonshire C-on-m Manchester
Marital Status: Widowed
Registration district: Chorlton
Registration District Number: 464
Sub-registration district: Chorlton upon Medlock
ED, institution, or vessel: 35
Piece: 23863
Household Members:
Name Age
Samuel Carden 38
Jane Carden 38
Albert Carden 18
William Carden 17
John Carden 14
Amy Carden 10
Fred Carden 7
Marann Carden 6
Elizabeth Carden 3
Arnold Carden 2/12
Emma Wafford 72
Sahara Morriss 32
Sidney Morriss 7
Hilda Morriss 3

This is an technical enquiry how a completely wrong name can appear on the original census form (as viewed via GR, not the transcription, which is often wrong by a letter or more). How did the census taker keep their notes before going back to the office to make the fair copy?

The specific example is 1901Census for Samuel Carden 28 Manchester living with his family at 33 Stafford Street, All Saints, South Manchester. He is there second in the house, as "S in Law" to a Mary J Middle or Middler aged 62 born Sandbach.

The trouble is, his mother-in-law's name was Emma Strafford, and his wife was nee Jane Pemberton Strafford. I have lots of supporting evidence for this, such as Emma Strafford's appearance in the Carden family in the 1911 Census at 17 Devonshire Street, Chorlton on Medlock, Manchester, and the past history of marriage certificates, and the Strafford and Carden families.

Although I can find various Mary J Middle (r) and similar names, I can't find one the right age and location to match the 1901 Census. The 1901 age and place of birth match those of Emma Strafford who (you guessed it)is not in the 1901 Census.

The only Mary J Middle I have found in the right Manchester area was married two years earlier in 1899 to a Mr Askey. She was aged 24 in 1901, and had been living (in 1891) in a home for Fallen Women.

So the question is, how did the census taker manage to enter a completely wrong name into the census, but with the right age and place of birth for the right person?

Thanks for any information.

Hugh Wolfson