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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: panda40 on Friday 19 August 11 16:02 BST (UK)

Title: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: panda40 on Friday 19 August 11 16:02 BST (UK)
I was watching an old edition of QI on TV last night and it featured a question about the Great Lafayette a magician from the Victorian era. I was interested in his story so I googled him and the information given clearly gives him as a resident in London. He was given a dog called Beauty by Houdini and he doted on the dog. So I thought I would try and locate him in the 1911 census.
Lo and behold he is enumerated under his stage name living in London and he has listed his dog as his daughter. The enumerator has then crossed through this record and written no further information available.

Anyone else come across animals on a census record before ???
regards panda
Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: expatinturkey on Friday 19 August 11 16:15 BST (UK)
I was watching an old edition of QI on TV last night and it featured a question about the Great Lafayette a magician from the Victorian era. I was interested in his story so I googled him and the information given clearly gives him as a resident in London. He was given a dog called Beauty by Houdini and he doted on the dog. So I thought I would try and locate him in the 1911 census.
Lo and behold he is enumerated under his stage name living in London and he has listed his dog as his daughter. The enumerator has then crossed through this record and written no further information available.

Anyone else come across animals on a census record before ???
regards panda


Love this! :) A real case of a house is not a home without a dog! :) LOL the enumerator must have been as sick as a dog to realize it wasn't a human on the list! ;)
Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: shanew147 on Friday 19 August 11 16:35 BST (UK)
here's a dog on the Irish 1911 census, he's crossed out on the form, but has been transcribed - see Tatters age 3. 
 
Cullen household, Blessington Street, Dublin City
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Dublin/Inn_s_Quay/Blessington_Street/26988 (http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Dublin/Inn_s_Quay/Blessington_Street/26988)


Shane
Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: oldtimer on Friday 19 August 11 16:41 BST (UK)
Lovely story!

Just been reading about him, and he sadly died that same year in a fire.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-13334087

He was buried with his dog  :)
Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: JenB on Friday 19 August 11 16:50 BST (UK)
Lafayette and Beauty  ;D (looks like she's wearing her diamond studded collar  ::) )
http://www.scotclans.com/bletherskite/?p=2786
Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: margaretfrank on Friday 19 August 11 17:11 BST (UK)
My daughter who doesnot intend to have children said she was quite miffed that she could not include her Rhodesian Ridgeback Dana on recent 2011 census forms. She argue Dana is her substitute child..May be she should have just gone ahead and done it
Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: cati on Friday 19 August 11 17:28 BST (UK)
In the dim and distance past I used to be of those poor souls who collated the electoral register and took the flak when things went wrong:  you know, the complaints that 'my daughter's been sent a polling card and she's only eighteen months old: how stupid is the Council?' (answer: well, if you can't follow instructions, put her name on the form  and don't even bother to state a date of birth...)

I did realise that  Tiddles Johnson, age 5 was likely to be the cat:  but George Smith (no dob) slipped through the net - he was a cat as well.  And I was polite when answering the question 'Why have you sent my cat a polling card?'...

Cati
Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: RedMystic on Friday 19 August 11 18:00 BST (UK)
In the dim and distance past I used to be of those poor souls who collated the electoral register and took the flak when things went wrong:  you know, the complaints that 'my daughter's been sent a polling card and she's only eighteen months old: how stupid is the Council?' (answer: well, if you can't follow instructions, put her name on the form  and don't even bother to state a date of birth...)

I did realise that  Tiddles Johnson, age 5 was likely to be the cat:  but George Smith (no dob) slipped through the net - he was a cat as well.  And I was polite when answering the question 'Why have you sent my cat a polling card?'...

Cati

I'm sure it wasn't funny for you at the time, but you have given me a fully blown belly laugh this morning.  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: cati on Friday 19 August 11 18:35 BST (UK)
In the dim and distance past I used to be of those poor souls who collated the electoral register and took the flak when things went wrong:  you know, the complaints that 'my daughter's been sent a polling card and she's only eighteen months old: how stupid is the Council?' (answer: well, if you can't follow instructions, put her name on the form  and don't even bother to state a date of birth...)

I did realise that  Tiddles Johnson, age 5 was likely to be the cat:  but George Smith (no dob) slipped through the net - he was a cat as well.  And I was polite when answering the question 'Why have you sent my cat a polling card?'...

Cati

I'm sure it wasn't funny for you at the time, but you have given me a fully blown belly laugh this morning.  ;D ;D ;D

What I wanted to say was 'Because he's brighter than you are...'

Cati
Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: Lydart on Friday 19 August 11 19:44 BST (UK)
It also shows ...
Quote
Cullen   Francis C       12     Male       Head of Family


A 12 year old as head of family ??  :o
Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: shanew147 on Friday 19 August 11 19:50 BST (UK)
It also shows ...
Quote
Cullen   Francis C       12     Male       Head of Family

A 12 year old as head of family ??  :o

that bit is a mis-transcription - head of household is actually Robert. I think the person that transcribed the details was still giggling about the dog!


Shane
Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: Redroger on Friday 19 August 11 21:03 BST (UK)
Not a dog on a census, but virtually every year some clown somewhere puts their pets down on the electoral register.
Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: lil growler on Friday 19 August 11 21:57 BST (UK)

I love the fact that they also wrote where Tatters was born....Had a good laugh this morning, delightful.

lil ;D
Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: shanew147 on Friday 19 August 11 22:21 BST (UK)
a well travelled dog, born in Co. Longford, now living the high life in Dublin City!

Apparently Tatters was named after the dog in a play called the Shaughraun by playwright Dion Boucicault...or maybe he was in the play ?

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dion_Boucicault

Head of the Cullen household Robert, is a porter, so maybe he worked in a theatre.


S.
Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: toni* on Friday 19 August 11 22:41 BST (UK)
i put my cat down on the census sadly he died in June this year just aged 4  :'(
for his occupation i put chief mouse catcher!
Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: lil growler on Friday 19 August 11 22:57 BST (UK)
Gorgeous Toni...sad to hear he passed away though.

Interesting to see how Tatters name came about, he certainly be remembered!

Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: Taidquest on Friday 19 August 11 23:13 BST (UK)
Hilarious! makes me think again about the Shark O'Brien-daughter mother,
found on the census for Dublin. ;D ???
Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: oldtimer on Saturday 20 August 11 09:09 BST (UK)
I love the way that Tatters's owner has written that Tatters cannot read.  ;D ;D ;D

(he doesn't mention writing though  ???)
Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: toni* on Saturday 20 August 11 09:10 BST (UK)
I love the way that Tatters's owner has written that Tatters cannot read.  ;D ;D ;D

(he doesn't mention writing though  ???)
yes that was funny
Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: giraffe on Saturday 03 September 11 16:17 BST (UK)
What beats me is that I have seen these 'pet' cases reported in local newspapers, with the 'brickbats' being chucked at the Council  by the reporters!
giraffe [/u]
Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: dawnsh on Saturday 03 September 11 16:36 BST (UK)
For those with 1911 access, check out John Charles Belton born Wellington Shropshire.

RG14 pc 21856, RD 450, SD 2, ED 6, schedule 211


At the bottom of his page is a 6 month old servant (mouser), origin Persian.
Title: Re: dog on 1911 census!
Post by: toni* on Sunday 04 September 11 18:00 BST (UK)
thats great Dawnsh