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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: McDougalls on Wednesday 08 January 25 20:50 GMT (UK)
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Hello community,
I have, what I believe, is the same person (Gr-gr-grandfather, Duncan McDougall) recorded on two different 1901 Manitoba, Canada census records. I'm questioning if this is possible or if these are, more likely, two different individuals. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
First census (Manitoba - Brandon District), my gr-gr grandfather is recorded as living with his son (my great grandfather) and family. I can confirm this is my great grandfather and his family. This census is dated 17 April.
The other census (Manitoba - McDonald District) has him recorded as living with his unmarried daughter. The previous 1891 census for this same district lists the same individuals, including my great grandfather (before he married and moved to Brandon district) and other familiy members. All ages and names are what they should be and I believe this is also my gr-gr-grandfather. This census is dated April 10.
The birth dates for Duncan are different on each census. The McDonald census shows 15 August 1824, and the Brandon Census shows 10 August 1824.
The 1901 census did not record if a person was living outside the district.
Has anyone come across a similar multiple recording of an individual?
Thanks!
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Yes, I found a man listed twice in the same census (this was in England so it was also on the same night). He was listed at the Asylum where he worked as a night porter and also listed at home with his family.
I note the two censuses were taken on different dates. I expect Duncan McDougall normally lived with his daughter, but was visiting his son when the Brandon census was taken. He might have been at his son's house for only one night.
The discrepancy in birth dates could be because he had already returned home when his son filled in the census form, and the son misremembered his father's birth date.
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There is quite a discrepancy in the year of arrival from Scotland in the two entries for the 1901.
Have you ruled out the Duncan McDougald who died in Portage la Prairie in 1905, born 1Aug 1824? There is quite a bit of info about him.
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Has anyone come across a similar multiple recording of an individual?
In 1851 John Gregory Jones, secretary of Liverpool College, was recorded at home in Everton, while also visiting a cabinetmaker in Aughton, a few miles to the north. He may have managed this by using the newfangled railway between the two places.
I suspect it is simply to do with who filled in the form, and how long before or after the actual event.
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Duplications are not that uncommon (I've just posted one on another thread). My Grandmother was recorded twice in a census when she was 4 years old- once with her parents (where she lived) and again with her maternal grandparents (where she was visiting). A cousin of hers was recorded, with his wife, 3 times in a later census- once staying with family, another time old old address and 3rd at new address (they likely moved at the time the census was being taken).
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John Milner is recorded twice in 1881, firstly in Sheffield, Yorkshire with his wife, children and mother in law, as an unemployed pattern-maker. Secondly he was in a lodging house in Erith, Kent with several other skilled men, described as a pattern-maker "at the works". This gave me an approximate date when he began employment at the Woolwich Arsenal, still working there in 1911, next child born at Plumstead, Kent in 1883.
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Yes.
My Grandfather is listed on a Canadian census in 1916.
He was in England in 1916 recovering from being shot in WW1.
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Duplications are not that uncommon ...
A question of more statistical interest is whether the duplications balanced the omissions ;D .
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Yes
I had a great great grandfather listed at his mothers house then listed again with his wife and family 1851
Rosie
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i have a granduncle recorded at his married sister's house in Co.Waterford and also at his normal residence in Co.Kilkenny. 1911 census Ireland.
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Coincidentally I am just now searching for a relative and found her in the 1851 in two different households in Burnley, Lancs., with her widowed father and some of her siblings. (as lodgers, and in their own separate household). Almost certainly the same family, as one of the boys was named Septimus. One daughter is missing in the lodgers' household but she is with my ancestor, her aunt, in a different household.
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Hi everyone, and thank you so much for the responses. I thought I had replied earlier but didn't click send button. ::)
It is good to hear there are other examples of duplications and I am quite sure this is the same person recorded twice.
Have a great day!
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There is quite a bit of info about him.
Yes, I have found quite a bit of information. The earliest I can confirm is Duncan, his wife and first child in a 1851 Ontario census and their marriage record in 1848. Then it's been somewhat of a dead end. 1842 census only list heads of households, and Duncan may or may not be living with his family. I am waiting to receive death records from Vital Statistics that may list parents of Duncan and Flora, fingers crossed.
Another question about Duncan is what is his correct age. The 1851 census lists him as 35 years old and the 1861 census lists him as 36 years old. In the 1851 census, the writing is clearly "35", compared to Flora's "25" years old. These are the same person because they are listed as living in the same location (Concession and Lot). Except for the 1851 census, the trend seems to be that they were 5-6 years age difference in following census. This begs the question whether he was ten years older than Flora and then lowered his age in following censuses, or if he was 30-ish in 1851.
Such an interesting and fun hobby!
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I have found that stated ages in Censuses is very variable and therefore unreliable.
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One of mine in Canada understated his age somewhat variably from 1861 onwards, probably because he was a good deal older than his wife. Eventually in 1901 we get his date of birth, in Dec 1819, which fits very nicely with his baptism in England in Jan 1820. Only then was I sure I was looking at the correct person.
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I have found that stated ages in Censuses is very variable and therefore unreliable.
I can only add that ages on marriage certificates are not much better. I have an example of one man who married, was widowed a couple of years later, and was younger when he remarried two years later again ... :o
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I have found that stated ages in Censuses is very variable and therefore unreliable.
I can only add that ages on marriage certificates are not much better. I have an example of one man who married, was widowed a couple of years later, and was younger when he remarried two years later again ... :o
Ages at death too, often when the informant didn’t know the person well, or at all.
I also got into a muddle when on a death certificate my ancestor was described as the widow of Thomas, rather than Richard. I am convinced now that this was simply an error. The informant was a neighbour, not a relative…not to mention that the husband had been transported to Australia decades earlier!