"Ivar S. Ertesvåg" wrote: > Robert Heiling wrote: > [....] > > My question might seem naive on the surface, but it is > > based upon a lack of knowledge of how Norwegian censuses are conducted. For all > > I know, there might be a rule, for instance, that information could be *only* > > taken from the head of household. Measures such as that would increase the > > accuracy and cause me to accept data from a Norwegian census that I might reject > > from a US census. > > The instructions for the census can be found at > http://www.rhd.uit.no/census/ft1900.html > It (and the text at the registration forms) clearly states that the > forms should be filled out by the head of the houshould or by the census > taker assisted by the head of the houshold. The census taker should > visit every houshold and make sure that the forms are properly filled out. Thanks for that clarification. That process, if always honored, is much more thorough than the way it has been done over here. It makes those census records far more credible. > >>The interesting matter here is whether this specific family was > >>correctly registered. Normally, this can be verified from other sources, > >>in particular, the parish registry. Furthermore, the source for "your" > >>Peter's birth year should also be scrutinized. > > > > > > That's right and I will question my source again, but a 6 year error seems > > unlikely unless I have mistakenly been given the wrong person's birthdate or my > > source has been given such. If that Einen household census record becomes more > > credible I'll pursue investigation of the nedre Helland pasish registry. > > for sake of order: the parish is Vestnes > (nedre Helland is the farm name) Thanks for that clarification also! Within the past few hours, I was able to locate what certainly must have been that particular Peter Helland in the New York Ellis Island ship passenger lists. The age matches an 1877 birthyear and he was from Romsdal. If we can resolve that 6 year discrepancy, my friend will probably want to pursue this further including those Vestnes parish records. Thanks again! Mvh Bob