Genealogy Chat

Going on from what Christine said, London censuses are full of pitiful comments like "lodger took schedule". This copying process means that errors are creeping in right from the start. The elusive Bounton family turn up in 1881 as Bouriton. I can only assume there was a blot on the page! B

I am indeed...and one who should really go to bed too! Nite nite xx

Lou, What an angel. I have no clue as to the predisposition of the "h" The records show Hopenshaw and google came up with Openshaw. But if details were transcibed to an enumerator it could easily be written with the "h" as that may have been what it sounded like at the time. Anything you can come up with please let me know and also if you incur any costs. Night night, sleep tight, make sure the bed bugs don't bite john

John Was the (H) deliberate? There's Openshaw and Higher Openshaw! Seeing as its you...I'm going to Manchester Records Office next week (I didn't get there before Christmas - long story). My thread is currently near the top of the other board. Chuck any info you have on it and I'll have a look for ya while I'm there! Lou x

Lou, Might just have a thread for you. The only info I have on my G Grandad William Sands was that he was born on (H)Openshaw about 1859. He was a general labourer and they tended to follow suit from family john

John Openshaw is down the road from me! Lou

Lou You are so right, I have a birth location as " Hopenshaw" which doesn't exist anywhere but "Openshaw" is an area in Lancashire. If someone is transcribing from a dialect - well - "divn't dush us wor just geordies" john

John got this from familyrecords.gov site The enumerator delivered a form known as a schedule to each household a few days before census night, and collected the completed schedules the day after. The census were then copied into the census enumerator's books. It is these books which have survived and which can be seen today on microform, or in some cases, digitally online. the original householder's schedules were later destroyed. I take it they helped the illiterate to fill them out as they do nowadays. Christine

good grief !! look at the time ! the cat's need feeding and I need to tuck in the kids!

Margaret Me neither although I should be...up till 4am last night, up at 8am this morning....I think I'm just addicted to this tree. Have this strange magnetic pull that STOPS me closing the pooter down! Lou xxx

John Lou has spotted our assignations (spelling?) LOL Lou I had a late night last night and a very long lie in today and I'm not in the least bit tired yet. Margaret

Yes Margaret and John... I have noticed a pattern here...! Glad it's not just me who's an insomniac! Lou xx

The census forms were completed by an emunerator (and I'm sure that's spelt wrong!) - a government official, as you say. That doesn't mean to say that there aren't errors. Sometimes names were misheard or often the children in the household were the only literate ones and they may have had to guess at how the surname was to be spelt. Another point that was made as well recently was how strong local dialects were back then, compared to now, and how names could be mis-spelt simply because the official completing the forms wrote down what they thought they had been told Lou

John I assume it was the enumerator John we cant keep meeting like this, people will start talking LOL Margaret

Was there govt. officials who came round on the 1870-80-90's and did it for them? All my g grandad could do was sign with an "x" for his mark, so little chance of filling in forms john