need help reading 1861 census place

[Oldfield]

in the 1861 census I need help to read the place of birth
RG9/2870 folio 57 page 12   Ardwick township Manchester borough St Silas  line 5   John Oldfield and wife Mary are my gggggparents  John born Derbyshire Ashford    Mary born Wales,??    can someone help  and read it for me

[Jaki]

Looks to me like Peaumarais.

Couldn't find any matches when i googled but found a place called Beaumaris.

Jaki

[sallysmum]

I agree with Jaki.  Beaumaris is on Anglesey - it could have been misheard by the ennumerator who entered the name as he thought it sounded
Sallysmum

[GreySquirrel]

Just by way of clarification of a common misapprehension...

The census returns that we see from 1841-1901 are the enumeration books compiled by the enumerator from the original census forms filled in by the householder (and now destroyed). The books were not filled in by the enumerator as he or she toured their enumeration district.

"Misheard" is therefore probably not right. Either the enumerator could not read the householder's writing on the original (now destroyed) census form when compiling the enumeration book, or else maybe the householder could not spell and the enumerator faithfully copied the householder's misspelling. Obviously, at this distance of time, it is not possible to know either way.

While it is possible / probable that when a householder had not filled in the form when the enumerator called to collect it, the enumerator would have taken the census of that household there and then on the doorstep before moving to the next house, by and large we have to assume that this was not the case.

[Koromo]

While it is possible / probable that when a householder had not filled in the form when the enumerator called to collect it, the enumerator would have taken the census of that household there and then on the doorstep before moving to the next house, by and large we have to assume that this was not the case.

But, then again, particularly in 1841 there would have been large numbers of people who were illiterate or at least not confident enough to fill in their own census form. Even if they got other help, for example from the local vicar or a literate neighbour, that would still provide an opportunity to 'mishear' the information ... don't you think?


Koromo

[GreySquirrel]

That's a good point, Koromo. I just think we have to assume that the enumerator was transcribing householder-completed census forms into his/her enumeration book unless there is any evidence to the contrary, which there won't usually be.

At a guess, literacy rates in 1841 were probably at about 40-50%, depending on location, so the many illiterate would have had to rely on third parties (if not, say, a neighbour then the enumerator) to complete their census form.