Twenty two years ago in 1991, my husband and I (not meant to sound royal!!) enumerated two parts of a council estate in Wigan - approximately 200 households each. We found some quite interesting responses. As advised we left the papers one day within a specified time slot and collected them a few days after the official census day. We saw many people on the doorstep. We told them that all people resident on the given night should be recorded. 1. Do I include the baby? Madam, the baby IS a person! 2. Do I include the dog/cat/hanster? Madam, They are NOT people! 3. "I am telling you nothing. It is nobody's business!" When my husband returned this character had been to the pub where people had told him "You silly fool; it is a legal requirement. They will put you in prison if you don't reply!" 4. One of mine "They're all gone, dead and gone" He was clearly suffering from dementia, and with the agreement of the Chief enumerator I filled in the form as best I could by observation, a comment or two from neighbours, with annotations all over the form. 5. "They knew where I was in 1939. They can come and find me now!!" 6. One of my elderly ladies: "Well I will put it all down, but I don't see why. I am 98 and will not need schools and things now." 7. My son is away in the army. Do I include him? And many other such questions. People were helpful, aggressive, open, suspicious, intelligent and not! It was hard on the feet, sometimes amusing, and sometimes irritating. I would willingly do it again, but am beyond the age limit and no longer in the UK! Jean Wood http://www.cheziris.eu/index.htm http://www.cheziris.eu/Duterrau.htm http://www.saintes-fleur-de-sel.fr/index.htm > Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2013 08:19:16 +0000 > From: ovington.one@gmail.com > To: sussex-plus@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [SXP] Two census records for the same person > > Hi Steve > > Wherever humans are involved there is the ability for them to make a > cock up of it <g> > > In theory the census was a snapshot of each household on one day > > In practice a form (schedule) was left at each household by the > enumerator a week or so before the census > > Some householders filled it in immediately for those they thought would > be in home on census night > > Others left it to the last minute or anywhere inbetween > > Some misunderstood the instructions and filled in those who would > normally live there > > Again in theory, the instructions called for those at home, there was no > censorship for any sort of relationship, what the householder or whoever > they coerced into doing it, put down what they thought was required, > some altered ages, others mistook the place of birth etc etc > > Those schedules were then collected after census day and transcribed by > the enumerator > > So there are many avenues for mistakes and errors to creep in along the way > > I have also known there to be an overlap between to enumerators > districts where both leave a schedule at the same house so they get > enumerated twice > > I have several people in more than one place, I also have people with > the wrong surname, first name ages, relationships and anything else that > could be incorrectly recorded > > > Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) > > On 23/12/2013 07:44, Steve Tusler wrote: >> Hello Listers, >> >> I recall in the past a conversation where it was possible for one person to >> be on two census records in the same year. >> >> >> >> I know they are geographically close (Itchingfield & Ifield) but is it >> possible that somebody could be on the following two references If they were >> done on different days? >> >> >> >> HO 107/1096/1 page 13 >> >> HO 107/1095/13 page 24 >> >> >> >> I had originally only looked at the census from Ifield but recently started >> using the alternate Surname spelling (Trusler) that is more prevalent the >> further back you go in time and it fills in some gaps with others on the >> same page. >> >> Allen Trusler appears to be living with his future wife Martha Penfold who >> was 15 at the time, is it normal to show non married couples living >> together? >> >> >> >> Regards >> >> Steve Tusler >> >> Sydney >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to SUSSEX-PLUS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to SUSSEX-PLUS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message