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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: buckaroo on Thursday 20 September 07 17:17 BST (UK)
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...when I saw this, from the 1851 census, :D :D :D
Ann Ellis (fruitful wife) 39yrs, Berkshire, Reading St Mary
what do you think the story behind this might have been?
can anyone read what's written verticaly across the image?
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Under Relation to Head of Family, and written vertically, it says:
"Olive branches round the Table"
Under the Condition column also written vertically:
I believe any Daughters are Girls & presume any Sons are Boys.
:D
K.
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Here it is ... someone with better glasses than mine have a go !
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Hehe!!
I think it says "Olive branches around the table" under Relation to Head of Family
"I believe my daughters are girls and presume my sons are boys" - under condition
Ann (snr) is the Household and maternal carer
Mary and Ann appear to be parents housemaids
Henry - much work and little play
John - helps brother and plays with the others
Chs - goes to school whistling as he goes
Thos - stays at home plays with the baby
Edwn - nursed tenderly ......aaah
Can't read the scored through entry for Anns condition....
Great to see a sense of humour on a census return ;D ;D ;D
Karen
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Can't read the scored through entry for Anns condition....
1851 HO107/1692/219/19
Does it say (with the line above) Married safe enough?
Is the head of the family's occupation Plebeian Gardener & Chartist?
How extraordinary! :D
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I think Henry's entry reads "much work and little pay". My guess is that Ann (snr) filled the form in herself.
Liz
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The final column is interesting too :D
Can hear the church bells Talks to herself and ??? when daylight ??
can anyone decipher it some more?
Barbara
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Lol think Buckaroo gets the prize for the most imaginative census entry probably most of us have seen
Is it the same handwriting on the rest of the census Buckaroo?
Willow x
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The writing's the same. Can't find anything similar yet!
meles
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This and the Alfred Gould condensed milk one must be worthy of comment somewhere other than just on RC !!
(Which I've kept but can't at the moment find ... files in a right muddle !)
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Can hear the church bells Talks to herself and ??? when daylight ??
LOL! I didn't see the last column. I think it's:
Talks to herself and wears specs when daylight grows dim.
:D
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Hey........
That sounds like me !
;D ;D ;D ;D
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My guess is that the poor enumerator got fed up with taking down the boring (but useful to us!) details, and when one lively family answered his questions with humour, took down what they said literally.
Thank goodness he did!
meles
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Wears specs when 'day dims'
I think you should ask the GRO for a copy of this page Buckeroo and frame it!
Willow x
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I thought it might say "Specs" but I think there is another word between daylight and dims.
I had a look for the family in 1861. Ann - the Fruitful Wife - is with her children and described as Married. However there is no sign of her husband!
This is the best census entry I have seen although I did like the one I found in Kent in 1881 where the birthplace was "God knows where"
Barbara
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Talks to herself and wears specs when daylight grows dim.
I think it's grows.
;)
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Yes it does say 'wears specs when daylight grows dim'
I didn't notice the bit in the other column lol - must put mine on!
Willow x
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;D ;D ;D ;D I just gets better & better!
I only got as far as the fruitful wife, then couldne see for the tears in my eyes.
Doesn't it just bring to mind an 18th C version of the 'Darling buds of May'!!!
Think I'll print off that page & start a collection! might become a book if I found enough!!
Buckaroo
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Hi Buckaroo
You should send a note off to Ancestry or the other one (1837 old name) They will probably give you a years free subscription for that find! Absolutely wonderful.
In 1975 (I think was the year), I was staying with my sister on census night - she completed her form in a very similar manner! Shame they destroyed them all in Australia or one of ours could have enjoyed it in 2075
Trish
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"when daylight grows dim"
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Good to see them having a laugh
Nowt.
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Hello Nowt ... welcome to RootsChat !
You've seen that family history is often a laugh as well as serious ... and we like a laugh on here ! Hope you find RC useful, friendly, and educational !!
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Just found this thread ;D
That is excellent, really gives you an insight into the family. Are you related to the family, buckaroo?
Erin :)
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;D No 'fraid not.
I was looking for an elusive relative who was a fruiterer, put 'fruit' into the keyworks section (just hoping!) and laughed my socks off when I saw 'fruitful wife' :D
I had no idea the was such a name as Mr & Mrs Fruit until then!
It's still making me chuckle now!
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I was looking for a doctor named Joseph Brown Hunter and came across this one which still could be the one I'm looking for. Seems to have gotten lost in the transcription: William Brown Hunter "gen. mebecal perchlings Gandade of Edinburgh Hunniby" which I think should read 'gen. medical practioner Graduate of Edinburgh University.'
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I LOVE it!
What a find.
As this seems to be the only family with comments I wonder if this was the enumerators own family?? The comments are really quite personal.
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I contacted a relative of the family through Genes Reunited, and this was her reply-
"Hi Erin
Thanks for the link.
I found this census entry a long, long time ago and I too was very amused. Henry Francis Ellis is the brother of my 2 x gt grandfather John Ellis.
My first thought was that he was completely bonkers, or drunk as he is a publican, however, the more you look at, the more it makes complete sense:
He describes his family the way he sees them, ie Olive Branches Round the Table, and says "I believe my daughters are girls, presume my sons are boys"
He is not blind - he only needs specs when daylight grows dim.
He is not deaf - he can hear the church bells.
He's definitely not dumb as he talks to himself.
The census attachment on the link you sent me does not show his birth-place but that too is funny. He was the only one of his siblings born in London - hence his birth place - City of Chimney Pots.
I expect you are aware that census forms were left by an enumerator for the household to complete, assuming someone could write. When the enumarator collected these forms ( some he had to fill in for those who couldn't write) he then had to return to his lodgings/living quarters and transcribe all this info into enumerator books. These are the books that we view today and that's why the writing is the same, page after page. The original forms were then destroyed. Although this all left plenty of room for error what struck me about this 1851 census for the Ellis' is the fact that the enumerator actually copied all this down into his book.
Regards, Shirley"
Erin :)
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Erin
Hope you suggested to Shirley that she joins Rootschat. ::)
Liz
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Cheers Lydart, thanks for the welcome. ;D
Nowt
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What a wonderful man Henry Francis Ellis must have been. He obviously loved his family to bits, and told it as it was ;D ;D ;D I wonder how he would describe London today?
Su
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What a lucky man to have had a fruitful wife ;D ;D Great find! ;) Jayson
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It's still making me laugh!! ;D ;D ;D
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I've got a feeling this was a quaker family, but not sure where I got this idea. It's lovely though anyway.
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It's still making me laugh!! ;D ;D ;D
Me too - it was a lovely find - should be revived every year for all the new chatters ;D
Trish
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I didn't see this the first time around so I'm very glad that it has been re-posted. What a wonderful entry, I wish it was one of mine.
:D :D
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Spookily, I was thinking about this today, and was considering starting a post to try to find it! :o
I am very happy to see this again! ;D
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I also missed this first time round - thanks for re-posting buckaroo......... I can't stop chuckling :D :D :D
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I also missed this first time round - thanks for re-posting buckaroo......... I can't stop chuckling :D :D :D
Me too!
Thanks for posting.
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LOL
I didn't see this first time round either.
What a hoot. ;D
Kerry
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What a treasure ..... am still laughing.
Thanks for sharing :D
KHP ;D
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How could I have missed this the first-time ??? Thanks so much for the re-post.
How charming to put of the baby ' Nursed Tenderly ' - they sound like a special family...........
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I wonder if there's any chance of a family photo?... it really would be the cherry on the cake! What a family.
I seem to remember that someone who knew the (later generations of the) family did post earlier on this thread. I feel a challenge coming on...
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How delightful ;D ;D Thank you so much for sharing your find buckaroo.
I shall go cheerily to work today, though probably not whistling.
Jan ;)
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I wonder if they made similar entries in the preceding/following years? I haven't got access to the census at the mo... Can someone out there take a look?
Thanks in anticipation
p.s. glad that so many of you are enjoying it!
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Thanks so much for posting Buckaroo - I'm still giggling ;D ;D
Joy
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- they sound like a special family...........
yes one i wouldn';t minded have knowing
sense of humour, loving family
not disfunctionate like mine!
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Henry isn't with the family in 1861 - the entry is ordinary. I haven't found them in 41 nor Henry in 61 - maybe he is in prison for his Chartist activities.
Jan ;)
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Aaah shame there's no more, but maybe that just makes it all the more special...!
thanks for looking Jan
Buckaroo
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Hi
I love it!!!!! Thanks ;D ;D ...it's as good as the one where the father is described as an "international playboy" and a son a 'ponce' ...can't remember their names :-\
found them in 1841 under ELLERS ...no humour on that one :-\
HO107/36 Bk;3 Fol: 10 P:15
deb
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Brilliant - why don`t I come across entries like this when transcribing?
I can`t help but wonder if the the amusing Henry F Ellis was the enumerator!! Unfortunately our well know site beginning with A only has the first page of the enumerators district with what appears to be the checkers initials on it, and not the one where the enumerator signs his name.
Thanks for posting it again as I never saw it the first time around.
Mo
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it's as good as the one where the father is described as an "international playboy" and a son a 'ponce' ...can't remember their names :-\
1881
Robert GOODMAN 52 Maidstone Kent
A fake written in the last page of the census book over 100 years later. ;)
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I just checced that page ... its quite extraordinary that Ancestry have let it through !
But its fun ...
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- they sound like a special family...........
yes one i wouldn';t minded have knowing
sense of humour, loving family
not disfunctionate like mine!
Disfunctional? Aren't they all?
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Thank you for reposting that delightful census entry .
He obviously loved his wife and children.
Made my morning !
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Aha. Fantastic. Best one since the guy born at sea who gives the longitude and latitude on every census.
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Simply lovely...first time I have seen this...gives a real warm feeling :)
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Aaah. Really brilliant!! They sound lovely. Many thanks for the re-post. Frostyknight
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Brilliant - so glad to have caught up with this one!! ;D ;D
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Wonderful! ;D ;D ;D
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Have I missed someone's post?? . . . . . but has anyone noticed - just above the house address it is scribbled 'one unencumbered house'!!! :D :D :D
A friend and i were discussing it and it was she who noticed that bit!
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Have I missed someone's post?? . . . . . but has anyone noticed - just above the house address it is scribbled 'one unencumbered house'!!! :D :D :D
A friend and i were discussing it and it was she who noticed that bit!
It would be lovely if it did say that but it looks like unihabited to me :(
Jan ;)
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Do you know, I believe you are correct - I just took my friend's word for it!! Thanks Jan!!
How sad - much better the other way!! :D
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Just found the link to this post as I was looking for somewhere to post my census find.
On FreeCen 1861 census for 33yo Ann Evers, Occupation: Did Not Sleep. ;D
Maybe the census taker gave Ann time for a cup of tea as she appears again as the next household with her two daughters and a lodger.
Actually, I've just had a thought - it probably meant it was Ann's house but she didn't sleep there, but next door. Ah well, it gave me a giggle.
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Just found the link to this post as I was looking for somewhere to post my census find.
On FreeCen 1861 census for 33yo Ann Evers, Occupation: Did Not Sleep. ;D
Maybe the census taker gave Ann time for a cup of tea as she appears again as the next household with her two daughters and a lodger.
Actually, I've just had a thought - it probably meant it was Ann's house but she didn't sleep there, but next door. Ah well, it gave me a giggle.
As you guessed, that transcription is a bit misleading. ;) :D
This is what the original looks like:
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Thats a Brilliant Find!..
Love when something interesting pops up!..
I have one interesting entry, in 1911 a Great Aunt of mine... Under marital she put 'Deserted Wife' .. poor thing!
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I would love to find an unusual census entry like that. It is so nice too. It does paint a lovely scene of domesticity.
Quite the opposite to that I have a Royal Marine discharged in the1800's as"incorrigible and utterly worthless" oh dear :o It seems he and his superior didn't quite get along when at sea!
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;D ;D ;D ;D I just gets better & better!
I only got as far as the fruitful wife, then couldne see for the tears in my eyes.
Doesn't it just bring to mind an 18th C version of the 'Darling buds of May'!!!
Think I'll print off that page & start a collection! might become a book if I found enough!!
Buckaroo
I have to say I've never had so many tears laughing in a while & my sides & insides ache as I'm doubled up & can hardly see...................................Brilliant & a book of them would be a best seller.............Hillarious & keep them coming ;D
Annie
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Brilliant!!
I thought under Ann's condition it said "ample enough" ;D
Mo