When it comes to looking through census for a name, I've found my families by trawling census pages when I can't locate them using a search facility. In the process, I've noticed that the enumerator has inverted the forename & surname of some family members. Not certain if this is repeated in the transcription but if it is, that could also explain not finding them. As for trying to decipher some of the chicken scratch that passed for penmanship in the 1800s - I won't even go there! Perhaps it's just as well I leave that alone: as a journalist, some of the notes I've taken during interviews are barely readable. Melody R melodyr@vianet.ca -----Original Message----- From: sfhg-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:sfhg-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Michael Burchall Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 8:53 AM To: liz stilwell; sfhg-l@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [SFHG] plea for help with RIDGUS family in Berkshire/Oxfordshire Hi Liz, A good tip is to say the name out aloud remembering that the person himself would not have completed the Census form and the person taking down the details would have spelled all names as he thought he heard them. This is also the case with parish register entries. Ridge(s) and Ridgus would appear to equate as the same surname. Another tip for finding missing persons in the Census is to make use of the facility on the Ancestry website to search by forename only. I experienced this recently with the 1841 Census with searching for a William Walford, a doctor, who should have been living in Limehouse. A normal search, also using known variants of the surname revealed nothing, not a single entry in the whole UK. I did a speculative search using just the forename William, and residence as Limehouse. Yes, there were of course lots of Williams, but searching down the list came across a William Walton. On checking the actual census entry page it could clearly be seen that the correct surname was Walford and his occupation as doctor was also a confirmation as well as that of his known doctor son. My own great-grandfather Charles John Burchall is entered in one Census by the modern indexer as Barchall! I have not seen this tip mentioned elsewhere nor did I know that it existed. It is a shame that the on-line IGI parish register entries do not allow such a search! Happy hunting, Michael Burchall> From: lizstilwell@ntlworld.com> To: SFHG-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:19:49 +0100> Subject: [SFHG] plea for help with RIDGUS family in Berkshire/Oxfordshire> > Hi list> > I know this isn't a Sussex query but I'm tearing my hair out and was hoping that SKS would be able to put me out of my misery. > > I've been trying to help a friend with her family and she has given me all the details she has, nonetheless I'm still struggling with it.> > I'm searching for a Henry Ridgus who is recorded in both the 1891 and 1901 census records as living in Goring Berkshire/Oxfordshire. > > In the 1891 he was aged 25 a General Labourer born in Burghfield Berkshire living at Cray's Pond Goring Berkshire with his wife Lizzie and family. > > In 1901 he is aged 34 a General Labourer born in Burghfield Berkshire and living in Long Tow Goring Oxfordshire with wife Lizzie and family.> > This would make his birthdate at around 1867. I've searched Free BMD but nothing se! ems to match and I can't find him or his family in the 1881 or earlier census records.> > The only clue I've got is a possible marriage for Henry and Lizzie in 1884 in Wallingford, however the surname is Ridges here so it may not be him unless for some reason they changed their name to Ridgus sometime between 1884 and 1891.> > > I do help someone will be able to help> > regards> > Liz> > -------------------------------> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to SFHG-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message _________________________________________________________________ Connect to the next generation of MSN Messenger  http://imagine-msn.com/messenger/launch80/default.aspx?locale=en-us&sour ce=wlmailtagline