Many thanks to both Ruth and Tanya for their help with my query about the Berry family. A relative of mine claims that he has checked the 1851 Census and this family was no longer at the farm they occupied in 1841. He then goes on to say that they had left Scotland altogether as there was no record of them anywhere. My next question is, therefore, can the 1851 Census be read in such a way , as to indicate someone’s absence from the entire country ? Marj in Australia