Genealogy Chat

Hi, i am looking for a rellie on 1901 census with no luck, i have the marriege cert where he signed with "X his mark" if a person couldn't write who filled in the census form for them? chris.

Head of household was supposed to complete it, otherwise the enumerator. I've never seen an original householder's schedule, so don't know whether he was supposed to sign it as a true record. Brenda

I may be wrong here but I thought it was always an enumerator that filled in the census returns up until about middle 1900's. I know it was enumerators that did it throughout the 1800's and that in Scotland the earlier 1800's ones were actually filled in by school teachers. Shaz :-)

From Ancestry "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 5 April 1891 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. If the head of the house was illiterate or had any problems completing the form the enumerator would complete as much as necessary. 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."

Thanks for that Geoff now I know LOL Must just be Scotland that was diiferent as I do know their earlier ones were filled in by Teachers. Shaz :-)

All the census I have seen have been in the same educated writing styles so I would have guessed an enumerator was the person who completed it for most of our ancestors. Further, this would be why so many mistakes are made about the places they were born in as the enumerator would go on "as heard" spellings. Thanks for that Geoff. However, seeing as my lot signed their marriage records (and even a Will) with an X I am pretty sure someone completed the census for them!

Heather You are NOT seeing originals - they were all destroyed. Every one you see was copied into the book by the enumerator. As for "educated styles of writing" - don't bank on it!