Gibbons in 1881 census only

[Michael Dixon]

 I wonder if enumerators chickened out, or spoilt pages ?

 Adam D Russell enumerated the St Nicholas's District 4, on 1891 census, which included the Gibbons family, at household schedule No 172 ( census page 4208-57-25) in 1 Groves Entry, Close.
Schedules 173-177 cover the folk in the rest of Groves Entry. The last residence at No5 Groves Entry was empty.

So Adam, a Commission Agent in nearby Franklin St ( 4205-19-35) enumerated seven households in Groves Entry, including one unoccupied.

( Groves Entry lay between numbers 72 Close and 63 Close)
~~~~~~~~---------
Turn the clock back to 1881 census.

St Nicholas's district 8 was enumerated by Robert Spence. ( I think he was an Exchange Porter , Assistant Tax Collector and some sort of money taker in Theatre Royal ? , 5058-18-30).
Census pages 5060-86-9 & 10 cover household schedules 35-41 which are for Groves Entry, including seven households. But no sign of a Gibbons

If I have worked this correctly both local census enumerators covered seven households for Groves Entry, perhaps pointing to fact that no household was overlooked in Groves Entry ?

But of course that does not find the Gibbons family on 1881.



Michael

[scriv2]

Oh dear, white flag - I stand corrected!

Thanks for all that, Michael... I didn't mean that enumerators deliberately spoilt papers, but that they might have got spoilt by water, ink blots etc or were illegible. However, I did wonder that enumerators might have found such  closes a bit of a warren. I was making these judgements after wandering round the closes of Edinburgh and imagining enumerating those closes in bygone times. I enumerated in 1991 UK census, and whereas I did not 'chicken out' by any means, I had some areas that were a bit of a nightmare.  From the 1891 census, Robert Spence was a rent collector in 1891, so not a stranger to visiting the households.

You have however uncovered an amazing bit of info here though. The census enumerator, Robert Spence, if one and the same as in my notes, has a nephew Joseph Edward Spence whose son will marry the daughter of Sarah Ann Gibbons b. 1880  - whom we are looking for now-  much  later in 1928!!! If you look at Robert Hudson Spence in the 1881 census ref RG 11 Piece 5058 Folio 18 /Page 30 Robert is resident at 14 Standfordham Place, St Andrew's Parish  with brother John D Spence and family.

I just love these kind of finds - but, back to the drawing board, they are obviously not there then!!

Thanks so much once again.

[Michael Dixon]

scriv,  I was not correcting anyone, only adding extra info ( yes perhaps with a dash of sarcasm- lol).

Until Later...

Michael

[scriv2]

Seriously, I very much admire your line of thought there, Michael.. It would never have crossed my mind to look to the enumerator and their counting of the schedules in an area to compare censuses. Very impressive.

I have now decided to 'go' to Gateshead to see if the family is lurking there.

Best wishes, Barbara

[Michael Dixon]

B,

 Just back from quick visit to Tyne & Wear Archives ( an advantage to living in Newcastle)

Saw three bapts in St Nicholas's, Newcastle.

24 March 1880
Sarah Ann, dtr of James and Mary GIBENS , abode Close, labourer

2 July 1882  Stephen son of James and Mary Gibbons, abode The Close, labourer

2 July 1882 Isabell dtr of James and Mary Gibbons, abode The Close, labourer.

( I am keeping out of the perpetual arguement about whether name of thoroughfare is " Close" or "The Close")

So in spite of the Gibbons absence from the 1881 census down in Close, I think you can be assured that they were actually there at the time

 Michael

[scriv2]

I just can't understand why they don't show up though. I have trawled through the images several times and have done countless forename searches. I guess they must be away somewhere, visiting!

 I have tried the obvious family connections. Both sets of their parents had died by 1881, so there is nowhere obvious she might have gone to be looked after, for example. By 1881, she could still have had Tom aged 15, John Gibbons Harrison aged 11, Eliza aged 8, Mary Isabella aged 3 and Sarah Ann aged 1 at home. I wouldn't think she would want to go far.

Interestingly, I also can't find James in the 1871 census before he marries her later in the year.

Thanks so much for looking these up in the archives for me. I live near the Hampshire records office, so let me know if I can return the good deed.

Barbara