1911 census

[millymcb]

It is possible to search on a first name only (or even with no first name) if you enter (,) in the surname field.  Put in all three characters - a comma inside brackets.
 

Koromo

Excellent thanks Koromo,

I tried the (,) and it worked... then I wanted to find others in the household (step siblings) with a different surname so once I had the person I wanted narrowed down to the only one in that area, I put the (,) in the surname box, the district they lived as shown, the first name of the person I found in the "other first name" and the step sibling surname in the "other surname" box...and there they all were just as they should be.  Unfortunately I already knew they would all be together and was just testing - but now I know it works I can have a go on others I'm not so sure about.
 

Milly

Just found some more - and then in advanced search kept entering different options for "relationship to head" eg nephew, cousin etc and also place of birth - to work out who some of the other household members were.   

UPDATED... And occupations too

Milly

[Necromancer]

you dont need to put the ',' in parenthesis - it works ok on its own .....

[silvery]

Sorry if I've missed this in a previous posting - I found that surnames starting Mc weren't appearing - through other methods found they'd been transcribed with a space between the Mc & the rest of the name.

thanks for that tip, just found a family by name of McNeil, wondered if they'd all emigrated!

[Sloe Gin]

And if you put in the census reference from a transcript/original already downloaded, then alter the SN number by adding or subtracting ..... then use the "no surname" dodge, you can view the people in the neighbouring households.

[IndisVanyar]

Thank you for the hint about the comma in the surname field, it works a treat

Sadly it has not allowed me to find the one remaining great aunt missing from my maternal grandmothers side. She should be there as she didn't marry until the autumn of 1911 - but no sign of her.
I will just have to hope that something took her into Wales or Yorkshire, on census night, and she will turn up, like the proverbial bad penny, once the remaining counties, etc. come online!

Nell

[Lambendsor (aka IGS)]

I've had no luck finding one particular older person who I KNOW was alive and most likely living in greater Manchester. I've looked all whichaways and still come up short:

George LAMB, born c.1838-42, Leeds or Hunslet, Yorkshire
occupation: boilermaker
In 1901 he was living on Parker Street in Bradford, Manchester
He died in 1914 at 80 Howarth Street, Bradford, Manchester

The thing is, I found his wife, Ann LAMB, living in Ardwick with her daughter, Harriet, son in law (John William JERVIS, head), grandson, and a mystery child, who was possibly a granddaughter (I haven't bought the page yet, being "between" credit cards).

Family legend - heard almost 30 years ago - had it that Ann left George, who was an apparently brutal man, so he could be anywhere, but I assumed he'd be in the Bradford area. I haven't found him with his other three daughters, either.

Be warned: there's a George LAMB of correct-ish age and birthplace living in Ecclesall Bierlow (Sheffield), but he died in 1916 and is not mine.

[Josee]

Hello Lambendsor (AKA IGS)

Have you searched using only a     ,   in the surname box?
 Filling in only George, year of birth 1840+-2 and place of birth: Leeds produces 140 Georges of about the correct age, I wondered if he had used an alias would you recognise a name from the given list. The George Lamb who ISN"T yours shows up
 I hope it helps. Not my idea I hasten to add (see a little earlier in this thread) but it helped me find 2 sets of grandparents within 20 minutes after going bald with frustration all week!!
Cheers
jo

[Ruskie]

This is probably obvious to everyone, especially those who read the instructions, but I will post anyway just in case.

In the "other members of the household" box, I originally only wrote one name as I thought that is all the programme would recognise.

I then added other names to narrow down the results.

One particular family has sons and daughters with the same names as parents, so as well as searching for my Margaret, I added in the "other members of the household box", 2 Williams, 2 Thomas's, one Margaret and narrowed the result to one.

[apologies if this has already been mentioned or I am stating the obvious]

[Ruskie]

Other marks work too
,
.
=
-
to mention a few ...