Hi All Extracts from the Sheffield Daily Independent cd newspaper www.cpiper.freeserve.co.uk This week in 1911 Census Stories - Some funny incidents Weary census officers trudged around Sheffield yesterday collecting the thousands of schedules which were distributed last week. It was not a particular thrilling time what with the bewildering questions of the ignorant, and the pertness of well to do snobs, who endeavoured to make the officials lot as difficult as possible. The latter type of people appeared to imagine that the enumerators were entirely responsible for the census being taken, and treated the officials with suspicion that was amusing to the observer. In many instances the enumerators were told to "call again". It is a an astonishing fact that there is still hostility in Sheffield against the taking of the census. One old gentleman, living not far from the University, for example, was labouring under the delusion that the primary object of the census was for taxation. When the enumerator handed him the paper he was full of wrath and flung it in the fire. He warned the census officer that he would never fill it up. The enumerators have discovered that the delicate question as to a lady's age is not confined to whiskered jokes and funny stories. The lot of some these lady's is so happy that they appear to lose count of the number of years that pass by. Some only feel about five years older since the last census, and they calmly put on the schedule a figure about five years in advance of their last census. The column as to infirmities appears to have puzzled many. "My wife drinks: is that an infirmity ?" asked one man. "In some cases" said the officer who was collecting in the Crofts area, "the children have filled in the forms for their parents, the latter being unable to read or write, but of course supply the information. So much difficulty was experienced in getting papers from the better class houses in Sharrow that one census officer only secured ten papers in an hour and a half. Men who have been married twice and have in thier homes children of both marriages have been somewhat concerned when filling up their forms. As one man expressed it "I have to give exact particulars as to the period of the present marriage, which happens to be ten years, and in the other column I have to state that of my five children living in the house one is twenty years of age and another is eighteen years, and I cannot find any place in which to put an explanation". "I'll not argue the point with you my boy" exclaimed one collector of schedules at Nether Edge, when he found his way barred by a savage looking bull dog. "Work depends on weather" wrote one man on his form. The enumerator wanted something more definate. "Well, my last jobs have all been snow shifting", replied the head of the family. Some little men with big wives, and some big men with little wives, have had great satisfaction for once in a way of being able to declare themselves the head of the family. One amusing feature about the census so far as Sheffield is concerned has been the "literal" interpretaion of the time the papers should be filled in. Scores of people sat up until midnight and commenced to fill the papers in on the stroke of twelve. A proud father in Ecclesall who had a baby a few hours old, calmly explained on the census form that the baby was single and not married. A Sheffield parent who should have known better, described his three year old son as a "mischief brewer" The keepers of common lodging houses in the city had an unenviable time in filling up forms. Many men were particularly foolish, thinking there was something sinister about the inquiries. The wags gave all kind of names. One man declared that he was the Earl Fitzwilliam, and another insisted he was Lloyd George in disguise. -------------------------------- Maybe some food for thought there somewhere. Regards Gordon List Admin (in Sheffield) Sheffield Genealogy Website : http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~engsheffield -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.9.5 - Release Date: 07/04/2005