Pauline Sims wrote: > On the 1861 Census, my gt gt grandmother was listed as "Head" with two young > children. The enumerator had very kindly written beside her name--"Supported > by her husband who is employed on the Rail-India" ! I wondered if the > enumerator had to give an explanation if a woman was the "Head" and with no > husband mentioned. Regrettably my gt gt grandfather did not appear on any > census, as in 1871, the enumerator wrote "absent husband" and by 1881 gt gt > grandmother was described as a Widow, so he remains a mystery. Pauline No, there was no requirement for the enumerator to explain anything. It was very common, particularly in coastal areas, for husbands to be missing on census night. They may be mariners or soldiers who were away for months or years, fishermen or commercial travellers who were away for day or two - or they may be working away because they couldn't get a job locally. I've come across dozens, if not hundreds, of married women heads ofhousehold. In some cases, the husband's occupation is mentioned - eg "Soldier's Wife" - but in many cases there's nothing at all. Brian -- Brian Pears (Gateshead, UK) http://www.bpears.org.uk/ Joint List Admin NORTHUMBRIA Genealogy Mailing List GENUKI Northumberland Maintainer