Genealogy Chat

I am now putting flesh on my statistics. I have gathered a lot of info and am now fleshing it out with details collected from census, certificates and church records. I have come across an anomaly found on the 1881and 1891 census, they are.... in 1881 she was born in Birmingham, Wawickshire and in 1891 she was born in Banbury, Oxon. I am assuming that the enumerator, 1)did not listen......2)was deaf......3)had had enough and just wanted to go home, lol lol. I have found out that rellies occupations 'changed' according to the census info, like, Dock Worker one time and Stevedore the next, even though they mean the same thing. Or, Carpenter and Cabinet Maker. But with a little bit of common sense it all works out. Because I am unsure of where this rellie was born I do not know which route to go down.... Any ideas please. Kathlyn

If you'd like to give us name and year of birth.....we'll have a look for you. Not the Royal 'We'...just generalising, as I may not be online very long!! Reg

I don't suppose anyone above your rellie was born in Oxon on the 1891 image? I have come across a couple of examples where when the enumerator has gone home and copied his form into the big book, he has carried over the information from the family above onto the next family. Linda

E M Becoming a lamplighter at 'nearly 70' is quite feasible...........a not-too-strenuous occupation which would bring in a little money for someone who had left his previous employment. Reg

Nowadays we're very used to regularly filling out forms for all sorts of reasons, and so we fall into a pattern of what answers we put down. But that wasn't the case for most people in the nineteenth century, and so on the rare occasions when they dealt with officialdom they answered questions in whatever way seemed best, or suited their mood, or were what they happened to remember. And census returns were only completed every ten years, so it's not as if you're going to remember 'what I put down last time'! Also, remember that it wasn't necessarily the head of the household who gave the necessary information to the enumerator. Sometimes it would be an adult child still living at home. Sometimes it would be the grandparent whose memory was a bit doddery. Sometimes it would be a younger child who got the job because they were the one who could write. Sometimes it wouldn't even be a blood relative... The answer given would also depend on how the question was phrased. 'Where were you born?' is not the same as 'Where were you brought up?' And of course we only know where we were born because we were told about it long after the event itself!

Hi Reggie, In the 1881 census....ELIZA WHITBREAD (abt. 1830) is recorded as having been born in Birmingham, Wawickshire. In the 1891 census... ELIZA WHITBREAD (abt. 1830) is recorded as having been born in Banbuy, Oxon....... I have looked at a copy of the census thinking that when the info had been transcribed that is where the problem had risen, but the hadwriting is quite clear in both cases. Your thoughts much appreciated. Kathlyn

This might sound like a dumb question, but how do you know they're the same person?

Hi, no not a dumb question a perfectly logical one....Because all details of the rest of the household match, in particular her son TOM. Kathlyn

Not as unlikely as it sounds. My paternal G.grandfather is recorded on different years as being born in Wrexham, Chester and Warrington. I eventually proved that he was born in Warrington. Tony

How about three places? 1871 Eliza Whitbread Henry abt 1830 Shadwell, Norfolk, England Wife West Ham Essex 1881 Eliza Whitbread Henry abt 1830 Birmingham, Warwickshire, England Wife West Ham Essex

1861? Eliza Whitbread Henry abt 1831 Shots Well, Warwickshire, England Wife West Ham Essex

Daughters birth? Ann Maria Whitbread 1860 Apr-May-Jun West Ham Essex, Wil give clues to finding marriage.

I think that you should bear in mind that the Censuses should only be used as a Guide to your research - as has been said above, the information may have been given by anybody in the household. Jobs changed as people with certain skills moved about the country after the introduction of the railways. Many people, in fact, worked on the railways and as new lines were laid so the workforce moved from one area to another. Of course, people in steel and shipbuilding would have found that by moving from Liverpool, say, could improve their fortunes by moving to the east coast - Middlesbrough, Stockton etc,. and beyond. There is only one real proof of the pudding - BMD certificates.

Matches 1861 1851 Eliza Buller Thomas abt 1829 Shotswell, Warwickshire, England Daughter Shotswell Warwickshire IGI ELIZA BULLER - International Genealogical Index Gender: Female Christening: 02 JUN 1828 Shotteswell, Warwick, England

Might be worth mentioning that West Ham used to house a lot of dock and railway workers, so that might give some clues as to how they met.

Thanks all who have replied. Henry was born in Aspley Guise, Beds and it seems most of his brothers and sisters moved to the dock area of London abt. 1855, to find work. I have managed to find the marriage of Henry and Eliza`s son Tom, but so far have not been successful with Toms` birth which was c1867. I have been looking for Eliza Bullen, but I see some of the replies have said Eliza Buller, so i will now give that name a try. Many thanks to you all for your interest. Kathlyn

Missed it because i was looking for Thomas birth Tom Whitbread 1867 Oct-Nov-Dec West Ham Essex, Greater London

Jim, you little darling you, thanks for looking this up for me. It was when I read your result that I realised I had had a senior moment!!!!! I was given a copy of Toms` birth cert by a joint rellie I had met on this site and that is how I came across his mothers name, Eliza...... But the plot thickens, please may I have your thoughts and ideas on this...... I searched Ancestry for the marriage of Eliza and Henry. I went through three years prior to the birth of the first child, ie. 1857. I found the following info for a....HENRY WHITBREAD, AMJ 1856 in Royston 3a 217...........I then did the same for an ELIZA/ELIZABETH BULLEN/BULLER, and look what I found...... Ester Bullen, AMJ 1856 Royston 5a 217............. Royston look ok for Henry as he came from Aspley Guise which is about 25 miles from Royston. Is this just a coincidence??????? OR was Eliza actually a Ester?????? Your thoughts gratefully received. Kathlyn

Possibly he got married twice, first near where he grew up, and then again later when he'd gone where the work was. Of course, the first wife might have been left wondering where he'd gone! Possibly he never even formally married his second wife as a result...

I uinderstand you have Toms birth cert? What is his mothers maiden name? I think it is doubtful that her name was anything other than Eliza IGI ELIZA BULLER - International Genealogical Index Gender: Female Christening: 02 JUN 1828 Shotteswell, Warwick, England