Tips to find people on Census .

[kevinf2349]

I have had some success by thinking of what a name sounds like in the local accent when looking for names on census records. Fergerson, Furgeson and even a Pergerson has cropped up!

[bykerlads]

My advice is never give up!
It took years to find my ggrggrandmother on one particular census.
In fact, she had re-married when quite old and though her some of her children were resident with her, their surname had been mis-spelled, so didn' tcome up in on-line searches.
Given that the family never moved out of one small neighbourhood, I'd have had quicker results by just going over all the pages of census returns for the area, I think.

[ann255]

I have found that despite putting 'variants' when searching a surname it does not always work. The only way I found a return for my g.grandfather whose surname is Foord, is when I typed in a separate search spelling with only one 'o' thus Ford. He had been missing for some time from the family home.  Should not have to do a separate search really but a tip worth remembering if stuck.

[rancegal]

I found one of mine last night her first name was Leah and she was miss transcribed on the 1911 census as Leak poor child. As if some mother would call her daughter that!
Regards panda

  You never know! Take a look at the name I have just posted on the 'What might you name your children' thread.