Genealogy Chat

Emma, Many thanks for your reply. I suspect it will be the basis for further research and the clue to other missing male relatives. Having thought about it overnight, I have a horrible suspicion that the family tale of being a soldier also mentioned a photo of Grandfather in a kilt! So perhaps I had better consult Gendoc. Thanks again, Rosemary

Rosemary, This is taken from the Gendocs site: ARMY STATIONED IN ENGLAND & WALES ~ Soldiers in barracks in England and Wales were always enumerated in the same manner as the inmates of other institutions. Small barracks were treated as private households to be enurnerated by the ordinary enumerator. Barracks large enough to be treated separately were returned in institutional books by the resident barrack or quarter master. The position of barrack returns in the records is similar to that of other institutions. ARMY STATIONED ABROAD ~ Members of the British Army stationed abroad were never fully enumerated, instead the military authorities provided the Census Office with information as to the numbers of officers, other ranks, wives and children, either by place or by regiment. ROYAL NAVY ~ Members of the Royal Navy ashore in England and Wales on census night were always recorded in the usual household and institutional returns. The returns made for naval vessels in 1841 and 1851 do not appear to have survived. In 1861 the returns for such vessels in both home and foreign waters can be found at the end of the record class, with those for the merchant marine. Thereafter only the returns of naval vessels at sea or in foreign waters were placed at the end of the record class. The schedules for those in British ports can usually be found at the end of the household returns for the registration district in which the port lay. From 1861 onwards, special naval schedules were used to record the names and relevant details of the officers and crew. The naval schedules of 1861 to 1881 contain columns for name and surname, rank or rating ('quality' in 1861), condition, age, and birthplace. These returns relate to passengers as well as to servicemen. The schedules of 1891 and 1901 contain columns for name and surname, relation to vessel (member of the crew, etc.), condition as to marriage, age last birthday, profession or occupation, whether employer, employee or self-employed (for passengers only), birthplace, and medical disabilities. Emma.

I was unable to find my Grandfather James Jackson(b. Peterborough, Dec. 1861) on the 1881 census, or the 1891 census. Family tradition has it that he was in the army. What happened at census time for those serving in the army or navy? He resurfaces on the 1901 census in Southampton as a dock labourer. Any suggestions please? Rosemary