Genealogy Chat

Good day, I'm a bit of a novice at all this, but I wondered why somebody/family might not be showing on any census prior to 1911?
I've only been able to find my Great Granddad on the 1911 census, but nothing previous to this.
Would you have any idea why an individual/family might not show?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Welcome to the boards, Karen.

Could be one of any number of reasons, including mistranscription of the surname, or unexpected spelling, which would mean you might not find them even if the records were there.

Would you like to give us some names, dates and places, and we'll have a look?

I found years ago that my maternal grandfather didn't show on the 1901 census .he wasnt on ancestry or FMP records

A cousin of mine who had access to the michrofiche knew where they lived around 1899 from a birth cert and spent ages going though films and finally found him and his family .no problem at all with the spellings correct and good writing

Others on the same page had been transcribed ok

:-(

Websites vary, too.

The 1911 census record for a family in my tree was transcribed on FMP, but not on Ancestry.

Well, thanks for your quick responses!!

I'm searching for my Great, Granddad who name is/was quite uncommon - Horace R Vardi - Year of birth - 1886 until his death in 1965.

Where does it say he was born

Do you have his marriage cert for his father's name

Here he is on the 1939 register

Vardi Household (10 People)
15 Heath Grove , Penge U.D., Kent, England
Start free family tree View original imagePrint
FIRST NAME(S) LAST NAME(S) DOB OCCUPATION
Horace R Vardi 02 Oct 1885 Motor Driver
Ellen Vardi 01 Jun 1885 Unpaid Domestic Duties
Horace E Vardi 31 Jun 1912 Garage Hand
Nellie M Vardi 16 Sep 1913 Unpaid Domestic Duties
Florence L Strong (Vardi) 30 Mar 1916 Laundry Ironer
Sorry, this record is officially closed. Check if you can open a closed record.
Dorothy E Beckway (Vardi) 07 Mar 1920 Laundry Ironer
Jack E Vardi 20 Jun 1922 Butchers Assistant
Sorry, this record is officially closed. Check if you can open a closed record.
Sorry, this record is officially closed. Check if you can open a closed record.

So living in the same area

1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
7 Heath Grove, Penge, Surrey, England

Learn more

Print transcription View image Household Members
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Occupation Age Birth year Birth place
Horace Reginald Vardi Head Married Male Carter On General Carrier 25 1886 Croydon Surrey Transcription
Ellen Vardi Wife Married Female - 25 1886 Penge Surrey Transcription
Winifred Ethel Davis Daughter - Female -

The cert should name his father if known

HORACE R
Last name VARDI
Marriage quarter 4
Marriage year 1910
Registration month -
MarriageFinder™ HORACE R VARDI married one of these people
Ellen Davis
District Croydon
District number -
County Surrey
Country England
Volume 2A
Page 610

Birth:

VARDY, HORACE REGINALD - no mms
GRO Reference: 1885 D Quarter in CROYDON Volume 02A Page 192

???

Marriages Dec 1889 (>99%)
MITCHELL George Croydon 2a 512
VERDEN Elizabeth Croydon 2a 512


Horace Reginald Mitchell
in the 1891 England Census
Name: Horace Reginald Mitchell
Age: 2
Estimated birth year: abt 1889
Relation: Son
Father's name: George Mitchell
Mother's name: Elizabeth Mitchell
Gender: Male
Where born: Croydon, Surrey, England
Civil Parish: Croydon
Ecclesiastical parish: St Augustine
Town: Croydon
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England
Street address:
Occupation:
Registration district: Croydon
ED, institution, or vessel: 10
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 586
Folio: 75
Page Number: 18
Household Members:
Name Age
George Mitchell 31
Elizabeth Mitchell 29
Horace Reginald Mitchell 2
William George Mitchell 1



MITCHELL, WILLIAM GEORGE mms VERDEN
GRO Reference: 1890 S Quarter in CROYDON Volume 02A Page 263


There's no birth for a Horace Reginald Mitchell, mms Verden or variation.

Correct (almost) YOB given in 1901:




Horace R Mitchell
in the 1901 England Census
Name: Horace R Mitchell
Age: 15
Estimated birth year: abt 1886
Relation to Head: Son
Gender: Male
Father: George Mitchell
Mother: Elizabeth Mitchell
Birth Place: Carshalton, Surrey, England
Civil Parish: Carshalton
Ecclesiastical parish: St Barnabas
Town: Carshalton
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England
Street address:
Occupation:
Registration district: Epsom
Sub-registration district: Carshalton
ED, institution, or vessel: 3
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 579
Folio: 5
Page Number: 1
Household schedule number: 3
Household Members:
Name Age
George Mitchell 41
Elizabeth Mitchell 39
Horace R Mitchell 15
Alfred Mitchell 15 - Alfred J on image
Elizabeth H Mitchell 6
Emma J Mitchell 2


MITCHELL, EMMA JANE mms VERDON
GRO Reference: 1899 J Quarter in EPSOM Volume 02A Page 6


MITCHELL, ELIZABETH HARRIET mms BERDEN
GRO Reference: 1895 J Quarter in EPSOM Volume 02A Page 7

Death of young William George ??? Age is a year out

Deaths Mar 1892 (>99%)
Mitchell William George 3 Croydon 2a 259

Don't know where Alfred appeared from.

Elizabeth A Verden in the 1871 England Census
Name: Elizabeth A Verden
Age: 7
Estimated birth year: abt 1864
Relation: Daughter
Mother's name: Ann Hinneford
Gender: Female
Where born: Mitcham, Surrey, England
Civil Parish: Mitcham
Ecclesiastical parish: Winchester
Town: Mitcham
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England
Registration district: Croydon
Sub-registration district: Mitcham
ED, institution, or vessel: 9
Household schedule number: 245
Piece: 854
Folio: 57
Page Number: 44
Household Members:
Name Age
Ann Hinneford 34
William R Verden 11
Elizabeth A Verden 7
Martha Hinneford 3
Abraham J Hinneford 3 Months



VERDON, ELIZABETH ANN mms NEWMAN
GRO Reference: 1864 S Quarter in CROYDON Volume 02A Page 199


VERDON, WILLIAM RICHARD mms NEWMAN
GRO Reference: 1861 J Quarter in CROYDON Volume 02A Page 198


ENEVER, ABRAHAM JAMES mms NEWMAN
GRO Reference: 1871 M Quarter in CROYDON Volume 02A Page 256

and his death:
Deaths Jun 1875 (>99%)
Eneyer Abraham James 5 Croydon 2a 1_6

ENEVER, MARTHA mms NEWMAN
GRO Reference: 1868 M Quarter in CROYDON Volume 02A Page 245



Marriages Sep 1860 (>99%)
Newman Ann Croydon 2a 221
Verden William Richard Croydon 2a 221

Marriages Mar 1867 (>99%)
ENEVER Abraham Croydon 2a 256
Verdon Ann Croydon 2a 256

Martha Enever
in the 1881 England Census
Name: Martha Enever
Age: 15
Estimated birth year: abt 1866
Relationship to Head: Scholar
Gender: Female
Where born: Croydon, Surrey, England
Civil Parish: Penge
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England
Street address: North Surrey District Schools Anerley Road Penge
Occupation: Scholar
Registration district: Croydon
ED, institution, or vessel: North Surrey D

That's great. The family is that on the 1939 register.
Can u please tell me where this information is available?

Thanks for all your help people. I'll be sure to continue...

The censuses are from Ancestry (would also be on FMP), the births from GRO website because that gives mother's maiden surname, and the deaths and marriages from FreeBMD (though could also be found on Ancestry - or probably FMP which I don't use) .

GRO and FreeBMD are free to use. You'd need a subscription to Ancestry or FMP (Find My Past), though you can get a 14-day free trial to either of them. Just remember to cancel it before the 14 days are up, if you don't want to be charged.

I've been hunting for the rest of Horace's family.

Can't find any other record of Alfred J, apart from the 1901 census.

Also can't see Emma Jane , Elizabeth Harriet, nor George and Elizabeth, after 1901.

Can't see George before his marriage, at least not going by the info in 1901.

There are a couple of deaths which might be Elizabeth between 1901 and 1911, but ages aren't quite right..

???
Deaths Jun 1904 (>99%)
MITCHELL Elizabeth Ann 38 Epsom 2a 2

???
Deaths Jun 1906 (>99%)
Mitchell Elizabeth 41 Croydon 2a 150


They don't seem to have emigrated.

According to her baptism Elizabeth Harriet was born 28th March 1895- using this DOB she is on the 1939 register in Croydon- sorry I don't have access:

1939: Elizabeth H Mitchell 1895 Croydon C.B. Surrey

Baptism:
Name: Elizabeth Harriet Mitchell
Born 28 March 1895
Baptism Date: 21 Apr 1895
Baptism Place: Carshalton, All Saints, Surrey, England
Parish as it Appears: Carshalton
Father: George Mitchell
Mother: Elizabeth Mitchell
-------------------------------------------------

Was Alfred's age listed incorrectly on the 1901 census?

Possible Baptism for Alfred James:

Name: Alfred James Mitchell
Birth Date: 28 Jan 1894
Baptism Date: 20 Mar 1898
Baptism Place: South Croydon, Emmanuel, Surrey, England
Parish as it Appears: South Croydon, Emmanuel
Father: George Mitchell
Mother: Elizabeth Mitchell

Birth:
MITCHELL, ALFRED JAMES Mother's maiden name: VERDEN
GRO Reference: 1894 M Quarter in EPSOM Volume 02A Page 13
---------------------------------------

Another possible birth:

MITCHELL, PERCY THOMAS mmn: VERDEN
GRO Reference: 1903 M Quarter in CROYDON Volume 02A Page 275

Name: Percy Thomas Mitchell
Birth Date: 14 Jan 1903
Baptism Date: 12 Apr 1903
Baptism Place: Croydon, Holy Saviour, Surrey, England
Parish as it Appears: Croydon, St Saviour
Abode: 64 Eaton Road
Father: George Mitchell
Mother: Elizabeth Mitchell

In 1911 Percy was an inmate in the Croydon Union Workshouse
-------------------------------

MITCHELL, LEONARD GEORGE mmn: VARDY
GRO Reference: 1905 M Quarter in CROYDON Volume 02A Page 313

Name: Leonard George Mitchell
Baptism Date: 12 May 1905
Baptism Place: South Croydon, St Augustine, Surrey, England
Father: George Mitchell
Mother: Elizabeth Mitchell
Abode: 100 Wentw? Road

death:
Name: Leonard George Mitchell
Estimated birth year: abt 1905
Registration Year: 1907
Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
Age at Death: 2
Registration district: Croydon
Inferred County: Surrey
Volume: 2a Page: 167