RootsChat.Com

Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: Robert Hand on Sunday 22 June 14 15:35 BST (UK)

Title: CENSUS taking
Post by: Robert Hand on Sunday 22 June 14 15:35 BST (UK)
Today the Census is based on the residents on THAT particular night!
 Was that the same in the past? 
If so, then the Census would not reflect the actual family members if some of the family were 'farmed out' elsewhere.  [A cousin noted that ALL the LARGE family were only male according to the Census and given events like in Tuam, any others might never have been listed.]
Title: Re: CENSUS taking
Post by: KGarrad on Sunday 22 June 14 15:39 BST (UK)
Every census is supposed to include just the people sleeping at the address on a specified day.

But some people would fill out their forms in advance, and then be somewhere else on the night, and therefore get included twice.
Not many - but it did happen.

I don't understand the reference to Tuam?
Title: Re: CENSUS taking
Post by: stanmapstone on Sunday 22 June 14 16:07 BST (UK)
Every census is supposed to include just the people sleeping at the address on a specified day.


Not strictly true, from 1851 onwards night workers were to be enumerated in their homes if they returned there the next day.
Just to expand on that: The instructions to the enumerator were that no person present on census night were to be omitted, and no person absent included. If individuals were working that night, or were travelling, they would be enumerated in the house to which they would normally return on the morning after they had finished their shift, or where they were to stay at the next stop on their journey. This is from the 1871 Census Schedule
Stan
Title: Re: CENSUS taking
Post by: Craclyn on Sunday 22 June 14 16:07 BST (UK)
The other effect you get from this is that folks who were out visiting may not have been recorded at either the location they were visiting or at home.

You lost me with Tuam too.

Do you have an actual issue with a census that you are trying to understand and would like help with?
Title: Re: CENSUS taking
Post by: stanmapstone on Sunday 22 June 14 16:15 BST (UK)
Tuam is a town in County Galway, Ireland

Stan
Title: Re: CENSUS taking
Post by: JenB on Sunday 22 June 14 16:20 BST (UK)
I don't understand the reference to Tuam?

Perhaps to do with the many children who died at the Bon Secours home in Tuam?
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0162k/
Title: Re: CENSUS taking
Post by: iluleah on Sunday 22 June 14 16:41 BST (UK)
Welcome to rootschat ;D

Anyone born and who died between census will not be recorded on any census, the 1911 UK and Irish census lists how many children born to the family and how many are living, which can give you a clue to look for other births/deaths between census years.

The census is a snap shot in time, every 10 years it is not an ongoing record of life
Title: Re: CENSUS taking
Post by: Sinann on Sunday 22 June 14 16:43 BST (UK)
The mother and baby home in Tuam which has been in the news a lot recently.
It would have been a Work house at the time of the 1901 and 1911 Census and everyone there are included in the Census. Only by their initials.

Lots of people aren't at home on the night of the Census but if they are in the country they will/should be included where ever they happen to be. The fun is finding them.
Title: Re: CENSUS taking
Post by: stanmapstone on Sunday 22 June 14 16:54 BST (UK)
Always remember that the censuses were taken purely for government statistical purposes and not for the benefit of future family historians.  ;D

Stan
Title: Re: CENSUS taking
Post by: Sinann on Sunday 22 June 14 16:57 BST (UK)
Not sure if this is the same Work House but it's a workhouse in Tuam as an example
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002461647/
Title: Re: CENSUS taking
Post by: bowman on Sunday 22 June 14 20:18 BST (UK)
Welcome to rootschat ;D

Anyone born and who died between census will not be recorded on any census, the 1911 UK and Irish census lists how many children born to the family and how many are living, which can give you a clue to look for other births/deaths between census years.

The census is a snap shot in time, every 10 years it is not an ongoing record of life

Unless the head of the household completed the number born alive, and then number still living, and then proceeded to name all those, alive and dead, it confused me for awhile, I had the death details for the deceased!!

bowman
Title: Re: CENSUS taking
Post by: Marmalady on Sunday 22 June 14 20:28 BST (UK)
"Unless the head of the household completed the number born alive, and then number still living, and then proceeded to name all those, alive and dead, it confused me for awhile, I had the death details for the deceased!!!"


I had a helpful ancestor who, on the 1851 census numbered his children. And as he started with 5th daughter and 4th son, I knew i had several missing children to find!
Title: Re: CENSUS taking
Post by: iluleah on Sunday 22 June 14 20:45 BST (UK)
"Unless the head of the household completed the number born alive, and then number still living, and then proceeded to name all those, alive and dead, it confused me for awhile, I had the death details for the deceased!!!"


I had a helpful ancestor who, on the 1851 census numbered his children. And as he started with 5th daughter and 4th son, I knew i had several missing children to find!

That was nice of him  ;D At least  you can say one of your ancestors made your research easier. That is lovely  :)  shame more didn't do it although the census were not taken for 'us' to use for research, but for Government statistics
Title: Re: CENSUS taking
Post by: heywood on Sunday 22 June 14 20:45 BST (UK)
Today the Census is based on the residents on THAT particular night!
 Was that the same in the past? 
If so, then the Census would not reflect the actual family members if some of the family were 'farmed out' elsewhere.  [A cousin noted that ALL the LARGE family were only male according to the Census and given events like in Tuam, any others might never have been listed.]

Hello and welcome  :)

To which census is your cousin referring and are 'ALL the LARGE' families within your own families because that is not true of others' research.
Censuses don't reflect the actual family members, only, as you say, the ones in the home that night plus any visitors.
We have to rely on other records to gather information.
Title: Re: CENSUS taking
Post by: Sinann on Sunday 22 June 14 20:52 BST (UK)
I think it's the Large family, as in Mr Large.
Title: Re: CENSUS taking
Post by: heywood on Sunday 22 June 14 20:57 BST (UK)
I think it's the Large family, as in Mr Large.

Oh I see  ::)  ;D
I thought it was a bit of an exaggeration. I still don't understand properly, though, the reference to Tuam. Is the implication that some female members (or all) were in institutions in that census?

I would imagine though that at some point there was a Mrs Large   ;)
Title: Re: CENSUS taking
Post by: Craclyn on Sunday 22 June 14 21:16 BST (UK)
I for one have lost the plot, if there ever was one. I still do not understand what the original poster really wanted to know and he has not been back on to enlighten us.
Title: Re: CENSUS taking
Post by: Sinann on Sunday 22 June 14 21:34 BST (UK)
I think he was saying, there is a family with only the men listed for some reason, and that other families would also have this problem if any of the women were in a Mother and baby home.
They didn't have mother and baby homes in or before 1911 ( I think) but in later census it may be a point, they did change the girls names but  they did know their real names to fill in the census or maybe initials were still being used.