what does this mean

[stanmapstone]

my ancestors lived there in 1871...number 30...looking at the census

30 is the schedule number (crossed out and 32 in the margin), they were living at 59 Northampton Street, not in a Yard, which refers to the preceding schedules 28 /30 and 29/ 32.

Stan

[iolaus]

.In 1861 Jane was living with her daughter....12 Albion place, there was no William. I did find him living Websters yard,
Wonder why Jane and William were living separate in 1861, yet together in 1871

Don't forget the census only gives where they were staying that night - not where they were living - it may have been Jane was staying with her daughter to help her (especially if her daughter gives birth around the time of the census) - I assumed one of my grandmother's aunts had died by the 1911 census as she wasn't on there and found a death which kind of matched in 1909 (aunt was Kate and death was Katherine) - but then my nan mentioned Aunt Kate in the 1960s.  Turned out Kate was staying at her Aunt's that night

[Ruskie]

Wonder why Jane and William were living separate in 1861, yet together in 1871

The census was just a snapshot of one night - 7 April 1861. If Jane was with her daughter maybe she was simply visiting for the evening. It does not necessarily mean that the couple were no longer living together. 

SNAP iolaus. 

[swampinstein]

But wouldn't that make her a lodger/visitor not the Head?

[stanmapstone]

She was the Occupier who had to fill in the Householder's Schedule, as the head of the family living there. This is what the Schedule says

Stan