Genealogy Chat

I am going round and round in circles, I know they were alive but I am stuffed if I can find them on certain census - and this is several branches of my tree, not just the one. Is it possible for ppl to have escaped being on the census???

Anything is possible but more often or not when you cannot find someone it is because the name has been mistranscribed.

I have my Great Grandad and family missing on 1891 and 1901. Been looking for them for about 3 years. I know they were in the country for definite in 1891 as they had three children all of whom were born and baptised here just each side of the census. Good Luck. Keep hunting Linda

Oh well, so much for that idea. I guess I wanted someone to say yes, then I could stop looking!!! lol. Thanks for getting back to me.

give us their names and someone eslse can look - they will probably be mistranscribed

I have found the family on the 1881 but I think the father had died already. The surname is Flannigan (spelling varies and have found them as Hannigan aswell). On the 1881 (RG11/4181/23/39) there is:- Mary, Head (widow), 42, Cardroom Hand, born Preston Elizabeth, Dau, 13, Scholar, born Bolton Rose A, Dau, 11, Scholar, born Kirkham Thomas, Son, 7, Scholar, born Bolton Ellen, Dau, 4, Scholar, born Bolton I want to find them on the 1861 and 1871. There should be a father with them - Thomas, no idea of any other info for him except that he was a Brick Setters Labourer in 1867. There should also be a daughter called Sarah born 1862/3, no idea where, except that it was probably in Lancashire. The parents married in 1853 so there may be other kids there but I don't know anything about them as yet - Sarah is the first one I know of. Any help greatly appreciated.

where did they marry - she was a young bride

1891 FLANNAGAN Mary - 54 - born Preston - living on own means Ellen - 14 - born Bolton 6, Belgrave Street Class: RG12; Piece: 3417; Folio 76; Page 29 transcribed as HANNAGAN

1871 way off the mark though i guess knowing where they were married would help Name: Mary Flanagan Age: 36 Estimated birth year: abt 1835 Relation: Wife Spouse's name: Thomas Gender: Female Where born: Ireland Civil parish: St Marylebone Ecclesiastical parish: St Luke Town: London County/Island: London Country: England Registration district: Marylebone Sub-registration district: St Mary ED, institution, or vessel: 11 Neighbors: View others on page Household schedule number: 266 Household Members: Name Age Thomas L O Connell 22 Margaret A Flanagan 3 Mary Flanagan 36 Mary E Flanagan 6 Rose M A Flanagan 6 months Thomas Flanagan 41 Henry Griffiths 39 Alfred C Meck 1 Mary A Meck 26

Sorry for delay in replying. I went off to get some brekkie and to give my eyes a rest - I'd been at it 4hrs today already!! Thomas and Mary married in Preston - sorry, I should have said that in the first place. As for Mary being a young bride, do you know, that had never even clicked with me. If she was born in 1839 she can't have married in 1853 can she cos she would only have been 14 - unless of course, the census is wrong but her age on the census in both 1881 and 1891 fit together so maybe I'm going off and barking up the wrong tree with this marriage. Poo!! As for that being them in 1891 - yes it is but I've found that already. I just need them on the 1861 and 1871 (just, have you heard!! nothing much huh!! lol). As for that family that you found in 1871, I don't think that is them because there is still no Sarah and she would only have been 7, so too young to have moved out yet and also, I don't think they would have been in London. Everything else seems to be in Lancashire. Trouble is with that marriage, I got the maiden name from a birth certificate and that was the only marriage that showed up. It wouldn't help me to get the certificate as I have nothing to check it off against that is 100% positive. Grrrr. This family are driving me nuts!! Thanks for everyone's help.

which birth cert have you got please

I have the birth certificate for Elizabeth Flannigan, born November 1867. On the 1891 Census where Mary, Ellen and that Mary A Prior are - Elizabeth is living nextdoor with hubby and kids - Stanton is her new name. The certificate has parents as Mary Flannigan, nee Hanlen. Father Thomas Flannigan, Brick Setters Labourer. Elizabeth was born in Farnworth Union Workhouse (Bolton, Lancashire) but I can't find them in the workhouse in 1871.

I don't think people can 'escape' the censuses.....I had this problem with some of my ancestors, sometimes they are not always where you expect them to be....ie: their home town.....I found one of my ancestors in London.....visiting his sister and Brother inlaw........some were on the census and many more all together on the same 'page' somewhere, as they were in the army. Though if you put in their name, birth year and birthplace details you should be able to find them and sometimes where you think they were born is not always the case, mine moved about a lot. You have to piece a lot of it together.