More Revelations from the 1911 Census

[Keith Sherwood]

All very interesting, and I was being slightly tongue-in-cheek when I made the suggestion for the explanation about the "Nothing" entry, Roobarb!  It's just that my gt-gt-grandmother had a bit of a reputation for throwaway lines, apparently, and after Moira's comment early on in this thread I just imagined my ancestor's very dry sense of humour coming to the fore...
Does the occupation description "Nothing" occur very often in this Census, by the way?
keith

[EmPea]

According to a search, 4049 people did "Nothing" for an occupation.  Guess there were a lot of teenagers around 

[EmPea]

According to a search, 4049 people did "Nothing" for an occupation.  Guess there were a lot of teenagers around 

From someone who obviously has nothing to do, the following may be of interest to those who don't have the time to engage in such foolishness 

Of the "Nothing" occupations,

1000 Wives
829  Heads
730 Daughters
483 Sons
195 Mothers
102 Sisters
91 in-Laws of all descriptions
72 Fathers
30 Brothers
27 Patients
20 Aunts
2 Servants
1 Uncle - John Srannage b. 1851 
1 Nurse - Percy Fricker b. 1898  Would love to see who filled in that form!

Couldn't think up any more relationships to the Head.

Regards
Moira

[Nick29]

Hi

It is possible to have a baby at 47 years of age. She must have been healthy then with all that sea air as you say.

Ben

It wasn't unusual in those days for the illegitimate children of daughters to become children of their mothers to avoid family shame.  The daughter would be hidden away until after the birth, and suddenly mother has another child at 47.  This could account for the cutting remarks on the census form.

Just a possibility - I'm not trying to cast aspersions on the family  

[Keith Sherwood]

Wow!  For some reason this thread is not being flagged up in my hotmail, but a very impressive bit of data on the "Nothing Doing" members of our society in 1911, Moira.
As for hidden parentage, that is quite possible, Nick - I know that in the 1881 Census under the MILES family in Eastbourne the family tries to conceal the true father of Hannah's first child as she was so young - but it would cost me a fortune in certificate fees to discover the truth.  So I'll let any family skeletons quietly lie, or perhaps softly rattle in the SHERWOOD wardrobe...
Regards, keith

[Nick Carver]

I'm intrigued at the 2 servants described as doing nothing. Does this reflect the householder's opinion of their worth?

[Jean McGurn]

 

It wasn't unusual in those days for the illegitimate children of daughters to become children of their mothers to avoid family shame.  The daughter would be hidden away until after the birth, and suddenly mother has another child at 47.  This could account for the cutting remarks on the census form.

Just a possibility - I'm not trying to cast aspersions on the family 

I think I have something like this with a boy born in 1860, given an unknown surname as a second christian name. Sent off for the birth cert and discovered the parents registered I believe to be the boys grandparents.

Their daughter married a pilot who died couple years later, then she re-married, this time to a man with the same surname as given to the little boy. Interestingly he was also a pilot.

Can't prove a thing though, also the boy died aged 4.

Jean

Jean

[millymcb]

 

This got me thinking what I would have entered for one of our teens ....  and "sleeps" came to mind. So I did a search and there were 84 people with the occupation "sleeps"....and the majority of them appear to be between the age of 14 and 19.   

Couldn't find anything for "wastrell" or "lazy bones" unfortunately.  Maybe I'm being unfair and there was a genuine occupation with "sleeps" in it.

I then did another search and there were two people who had their occupation as "theif".

I must have other more important things to do with my time - like the housework perhaps

Milly

[Daisy Loo]

Just out of curiosity, where are you Moira & Milly, getting these results from?