Genealogy Chat

I have a very complicated problem, but will try and keep it simple here! I have found records of my Naish ancestors on the 1861 and 1901 censuses, but never on 1881. Someone researching the same family has now found them in 1881 under the surname Cooper. They are definitely the same people, as all the childrens' names, dates and places of birth match. However in 1881 the father is not living with the rest of his family, and is shown as unmarried. Any ideas why they would have temporarily changed their surname from Naish to Cooper, and back again?

Suggest you try and look at the original page, It may be a transcription error? Perhaps you have tried but if not worth a look

The name is definitely Cooper on the original page. If it was a transcription error, surely the father (living away from his wife and children) would still have his "correct" name?

Long shot (but it happened in one of my branches) - did the husband and wife double-barrel their surname ? In one of my branches a Barnard married a Page and they became Barnard-Page (although very lowly agricultural people). In one census they are down as Page, and in the next Barnard, and then Page again. (I suspect the enumerator in the 'Page' year just took Barnard as a middle name and didn't put it down as there wasn't room, and in the 'Barnard' year, simply found he couldn't fit the rest in although had already written Barnard) ?? Simon

This is possible - although it was a case of a Vigor marrying a Naish - I can't think where they would have got Cooper from!

Oh I see - no, you're right, that does add an unusual slant to it ! Can't think of another explanation as yet. Simon

Was there a clause or something in the 1881 census that said you had to use the name you were born with? I ask because I have 2 name changes in that census year. The first is my 2x great grandfather who was illegitimate. His mother did marry his father 6 weeks later. But he is known as Armatage in 41, 51, 61 and 71. Then in 1881 he becomes Hutchcroft - mothers maiden name. Then another 2x great Grandfather is known as Mann in every census but the 1881 where he is called Hale. His daughter (my great Grandmother) gives her maiden name as Hale on her marriage cert. Haven't discovered the reason behind this one. Jeanette x

That's an interesting idea - does anyone else know of a clause in the census like this?

Rachel, I don't know of any clause - but this extract explains how the census was taken: "Enumeration forms were distributed to all households a couple of days before census night and the complete forms were collected the next day. All responses were to reflect the individual's status as of 3 April 1881 for all individuals who had spent the night in the house. People who were traveling or living abroad were enumerated at the location where they spent the night on census night. All of the details from the individual forms were later sorted and copied into enumerators' books, which are the records we can view images of today. The original householders schedules from 1841 to 1901 were destroyed." As it wasn't just a case of knocking on the door and asking the questions It's always possible that a mistake was made transferring the data from the form to the enumerator's book. You can see how easy it could be for the enumerator to be copying one form and glance at another and switch names or something along those lines. Emma x