Missing Great Grandfather - 1921 Census Help

[AngelaR]

That makes sense Pauline! I have a great uncle who, when he signed up for military service in WW1 used his mother's maiden name, but I assumed that was because, like a number of his siblings, he loathed his father 

[jaywit]

My thoughts on what appear to be 2 virtually identical happening to different families.

All through the 19th century men left their wives and lived with other women and the wives never knew what had happened.

By 1921, 21 years into the 20th century and the men having fought in WW1 things were different.

I wonder if the men realized their wives may find it much easier to find them and chase them for money?
So they made decisions to deliberately not appear on the census thinking the chance of being found out and prosecuted for not filling in the census form was tiny compared to the chance of their wives finding them. Maybe wrong but you never know.

[AngelaR]

Interesting hypothesis, Jaywit! My great grandfather wasn't involved in WW1 and had already run off with next door's housemaid in around 1912 but I must admit it's a more likely scenario than the idea that he might have some sort of conscientious objection to the taking of a census

My previous theory was that he was drunk in a ditch somewhere....

[heywood]

Walter Smith born 3/11/1893 in Birstall, Batley

Married Clara Porritt 28/7/1915 in Birstall, Batley

Lilian Smith born 30/11/1915 (my gran) in Heckmondwike

Clifford Smith born 13/4/1919 in Heckmondwike

Walter was conscripted in WW1 and was discharged 24/11/2019 - Army Ordnance Corps private 025537

The 1920 electoral roll shows both Walter and Clare at 36 Walkley Lane, Heckmondwike which is where Clara is on the 1921 census.

Parents Thomas Dixon Smith and Elizabeth (Robinson).

On searching the 1921 he is not with either his wife and children or his parents.  This does fit with the family story that when he returned from WW1 he didn't come back to his wife.

I see Clara is on her own in the electoral register 1922.
I tried looking further for Walter and / or partner in the area prior to 1939 in electoral registers but not sure of his partner’s name.
I thought it might give you a timeline of his return to the area (if indeed he ever left).