travellers in the censuses

[coombs]

That is why they amended the census dates to be end of March or beginning of April to record travellers more.

[omega 1]

OH had 2xGreatgrandfather,Dad & sisters ,on the 1841 in Shornden Barn,St Leonards.

On the 1851 2 sister`s & their families in Tents at Netherfield,Sussex.

Omega

[stanmapstone]

The months of March and April were generally chosen because this was considered to be the cross-over point between maximum daylight and minimal residential mobility. Any earlier in the year and there would not have been enough daylight for the enumerator to carry out his rounds; any later in the year and many people would have been absent from their homes for various reasons, including harvesting and holidaying.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/08rn/

Stan

[coombs]

I have a surname in a tree Botten which is allegedly a gypsy name. The family lived in Sussex.

[IgorStrav]

Stan, thank you very much for that fascinating information about the logic behind the census date.  Makes sense, but I had never thought it through before.

[WELSHNEV]

Thanks Stan, I was looking fruitlessly for that quote with IgorStrav's thread in mind.  I've got a shedload  of people I can't find in 1841 because of this, and although some of 'em turn up in 1851, mostly in lodging houses, there are still several missing.

Of course 1841 is worse in this respect as the census was taken in June, and most travellers would have been on the road.

I HAVE A JOSEPH SMITH FROM 51 TO 91 CENSUS' BUT  NOTHING OF HIM IN THE 41 YOU USUALLY FIND GYPSY/TRAVELLERS AT THE END OF CENSUS AS THE PLACES THE CAMPED/STAYED WERE ON THE EDGE OF THE TOWNS AND VILLAGES. JOSEPH SMITH IS LISTED AS OPEN TENT ON COMMON LAND NEXT TO HIM ON CENSUS IS OUTDOOR SHED WITH A FAMILY AND 4 CHILDREN. I HAVE SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT GYPSIES WHO DISSAPEAR FROM ONE CENSUS TO ANOTHER BUT TURN UP 20 YEARS LATER.

[coombs]

If someone disappears from a census then reappears later then he may have for some reason missed the census, temporarily emigrated or their entry was missed from the transcriptions of they have been grossly mistranscribed.

[Sue 52]

Hope it's ok for a newbie to butt in.  My daughter in laws family were 'hawkers' called Brinkley.  I found them on the 1881 census.  It just said caravan on Cuffley Road, Herts. Soo annoying.    His wife's name was Cinderella and she is on the census as Rella.    It's so frustrating! 

[lennie13]

I have posted a topic on the deciphering forum titled "Comedian."
I have noticed on this thread, travellers van were called living vans, so my question may have been answered.
 My ancestors were in a field next to the White Horse pub in Rawtenstall in 1871. I am now trying to find out where a comedian , named Claude Harcourt,would have been preforming at the time of the census in Rawtenstall....All ideas gratefully accepted. Caron