Genealogy Chat

I have an ancestor born in 1884, but she doesn't appear on either the 1891 nor 1901 Census. :( After further research, I am hoping that some of my relations from other ancestral lines will appear on atleast (1) Census return, but it's not looking very promising so far; I haven't had the honour of analysing any Census data yet... :( :( :( What I should ask is:- What proportion of your ancestors is "missing" from the Census returns?

Hi, It's taken 5 years but I have all of my direct ancestors on almost every census. My father's lot were easy as they were all in one area so I ordered the census films at the LDS a parish and a year at a time and searched them page by page. Mum's moved from Somerset and other parts of Wales to the valleys so they've taken ages. I just need a few more and when ancestry "do" the 1871 for Somerset and Monmouthshire I should find them. I wish, in a way, I was starting now- ancestry have made it so much easier. They are usually there it's finding them that's the problem - with surname variations, the enumerator's writing, fading ink, confusion about birthplaces and downright lies about ages! A mistranscription on the 1881 discs had me confused for a while but ordering the original at the LDS sorted that out. Keep trying they'll turn up eventually, Gwynne

Wow, so nearly all your ancestors appear on the Census! I never figured there could be a transcription error or any of the other problems you've described; I just assumed my ancestor did not appear on the Census returns for whatever reason - never at home in the evening, or something... Thanks! I will bare your feedback in mind, and later try to search under the address, instead of just the surname.

I reckon about 95% certainly a very high proportion. I have found people in very unexpected places and occasionally there have been infant deaths which have missed the census returns but have been picked up on BMD. Good luck with your searches and remember Patience is required!!! Dave

Hi again Giles, Just one example - in my "early days" I was looking for John Cottle probably in his teens born somewhere in Glam or Monmouthshire on the 1881 discs. I couldn't find him anywhere. I found some Cottles but no John of the rightish age. I was on the Rootsweb mailing list for Mon and Glam and put out a plea for ideas. I knew he "should" be in the valleys as I had his marriage in Ebbw Vale a few years later. Pam in New Zealand suggested I took a good look at "Joseph Cotte" and family in Ebbw Vale. There was no Joseph Cotte or Cottle in the GRO index for the possible birth years so I ordered the film of the original census. And there he was John Cottle born Tredegar with his parents born in Midsomer Norton. So then I was away. I found his birth, their marriage then their baptisms etc etc. Gwynne

Giles Keep looking. I have just sorted my elusive soldier out in 1871 after looking for him for 10 years!! Found him in Ancestry free look up on 1871 just last week. He was all over the country and Ireland for his children and should have been in Lincoln in 1871. He had been discharged to the North Lincoln Militia in 1870 and with one child born Dec 1870 in Lincoln, another born 1872 in Lincoln and yet a third in Lincoln in 1874 wouldn't anybody be looking in Lincoln! I looked in vain, and guess where he was for Census night in 1871, in Farnborough!! Never have even have thought of looking there, and what's more all his family were there as well. You just never know with census. It took a nationally indexed census to find him. I found him on 1881 and 1901 but he is elusive for 1891. I have his address from 1886 to 1896, the same address in the poll books but he is not at the Poll book address in the 1891 census. Where is he?? I suspect he is staying with one of his married daughters, but I do not yet know their married names! I have found them staying with grandparents in another part of the town, sisters in another part of the country and even friends in the next village but the satisfaction and bliss you get when you do find one of these elusive people is immense! As Gwynne says they are usually there somewhere!! Janet

One family is on the move in 1861, another ancestor cannot be found in 1841 and 1851. Everyone else has been accounted for. That must make well over 90%. Those in service, prison or workhouse only turned up when indexes became available. In general, my lot were law abiding labourers, living in villages or small towns, which does make life easier, but I have seen plenty of examples where people are recorded under entirely incorrect names: ie Millicent Puttock as Amelia Nottridge. Such people do not readily appear in searches through indexes. Brenda

Giles I've found nearly everyone. Missing people who disappear between censuses turned out to have died. BUT do allow for a large number of mistranscriptions. I have on the 1901 census alone: Jeuel misread as Denel Limpenhoe (placename) as Limperhal Cambridge as Camligger Lemuel as Leonard Smoothy as Lenorthey Matthews as Maththews (so I found them by searching on first names, date and place of birth) On the 1871 census my Matthews were not only listed as Marthers, but were also wrongly put in the house next door! Do check the surrounding areas for where you expect your relatives to be. Sometimes they also gave initials instead of full names, so my grandmother Annie Eliza Matthews was listed as A.E. Matthews. nell I've also had relatives

I seemed to be missing a whole family at one point, but found them eventually, they had been mistranscribed with 2 different surnames (neither of which was correct!). I have had a recent problem of the same family seeming to appear twice on the same census (Glos and Notts) but I have since resolved this! Don't give up searching.

I have just spent 30mins looking on 1901 census. I have tried every name, Christian and Surname, all ways of spelling, even the address. No luck at all. I have up to now, found very few on any census. Maybe mine were all out as well. Why is the 1901 Census the last one? Or is it me being thick.

The 1901 is the last census open to the public. There's a 100-years rule to protect people. 1911 census should be available - hopefully better transcribed and with someone checking placenames against a gazeteer - on 1 Jan 2012. nell