1861 Census help please! *Defeat admitted*

[loudoniii]

Perhaps George was away on Army service, and Anne and the children were staying with her parents the Dunns / Dons on that evening, which might explain why we can't find any 1861 census entry under Chissel, as the Head of the household's name was Dunn / Don ?!?

I don't know Anne's parents' names, presumably they were still living in Stirling, so worth a look under there perhaps ?

Or maybe with George's family in Devon on census night, so on the 1861 English Census, perhaps under a mistranscribed spelling of their surname  ?

[apanderson]

I did think that dad George could possibly be elsewhere but dismissed that for some reason or another. (I've tried soooooo many options that I've forgotten now what made me think George would most likely to be 'at home'.)

I haven't, however, tried searching for Ann's parents. I know her mother re-married after her father died, but as yet, don't have dates or places.

Her father was John Don, Schoolmaster, her mother was Janet Chalmers who on her re-marriage, became Janet Lorimer (info from Ann's D.C., 1907).

I found it strange that Ann was illiterate (M.C. has 'mark' witnessed by 2 people), especially as her father was a Schoomaster. I'd have thought he'd have taught his own daughter to read and write!!

Anne

[apanderson]

Meant to say .....

George's parents were John Chissel & Sarah Penny.

I've found them in Devon in 1841, 1851, 1861 & 1871. They are both deceased by 1881 and they had no-one living with them on any of the Censuses.

Anne

[Joyful]

Anne,as an aside, the George Edwin Chissell Capt  of the Royal Artillery  killed in 1917
in WW1, was he one of yours? Grandson perhaps?

Joy
Edit to add - I can't seem to find Ann's parents in 1861 - when did John Don/Dun die? Don't seem to be able to see Janet Lorimer(if she had remarried by then) either. How positive are you that he was a schoolmaster? People often made their parents sound better eg Farmer sounds better than Ag Lab. Also, like you I find it impossible to believe that a schoolmaster's
child couldn't read and write.

J

[apanderson]

Oh no!!!!! not another Chissell coming out of the woodwork!! 

Seriously though .... I don't think George Edwin Chissell is part of this family.

Edmond George Chissel (Gordon Highlanders) who was killed in the Boer War was the grandson of George Penny Chissel, husband of Ann Dunn/Don and later Chissels had military service, but they're all 'accounted for'.

It's a very long convoluted story with bigamous marriages all over the place - it would take a year to try and explain all the twists and turns!

You might be right about Ann elaborating slightly about her father's occupation. She was listed as a Factory Worker on her MC, so perhaps the family had fallen on hard times? Their witnesses don't look like any sort of relatives either - one was called ...? Moore and the other Agnes M. Allan.  These are the same people who witnesses Ann's 'mark', so presumably they actually knew who she was?

Anne

[MonicaL]

Hi Anne

Can't see them for you either  From the dates and events you have, likely they were in Leith for 1861, a few months after Helen's birth, or at least Ann with the children (Jane b. 1858 looks to have died the year she was born in Leith).

SP don't seem to have them either. I wonder if there was a problem with filming and quality?

Monica

[Unë kthimi i papenduar]

I have one query as to the place of birth of Helen in 1861.   Hillhousefield is quoted yet the birth registration gave the address as Lapicide Lane in North Leith which was next to Leith Fort the headquarters of the royal artillery of Scotland at that time.  

[apanderson]

Thank you for that VERY interesting piece of information!

I have contacted S.P. requesting a more legible copy of Helen's Birth Certificate as the copy I have I couldn't make out what it said (and wrongly presumed it was the same as John's).

It makes perfect sense that the family lived next to Leith Fort.

Anne (Off to try looking for them again!!)

[apanderson]

Nope, still can't find them!! 

Anne