Genealogy Chat

I can't find my great great grand parents on the 1901 census. I know that my g/g/grandad was illiterate and also that the head of the household was responsible for completing the returns. Does anyone know if this could account for his non-appearance on the census? Or did the enumerators help people would couldn't write? I would like to know if anyone else has encountered this problem/any suggestions? By the way his name was James Jenness in case anyone comes across him!

I'm pretty sure that i am right in saying that everyone had to answer the census questions and that if they were unable to the the emmunerator completed the paperwork for them. In many cases i think the emmunerator did all the writing and just visited people in their district family by family. Alison

Thank you that is what I thought but I wanted to check! God only knows where he is recorded.

Bear in mind that his name, particularly surname, might not be spelled exactly how you expect. Try some variations and see if anything comes from that. Can you use wildcards on 1901? I've used them successfully on 1891, might be worth a try. Put the first three letters of the surname followed by a * and see if that works. If your ancestor was totally illiterate, as some of mine were (don't you just love seeing those X - her mark - on birth certificates?), then they wouldn't have been able to tell the enumerator how to spell their name. Also, remember that some of the transcribers misread names, so they are indexed incorrectly. Jan.

Thank-you I will try the wildcard trick. By the way is there anywhere you can look on the 1891 census for free? The only place I have seen it cost £70. Sarah

Sarah, Put your gggrandfather's name on here along with the rest of the family if possible. Perhaps we can find him on 1901

Sarah There is 1 James Jenness on the 1891 age 58 living in Yorkshire,Eccesfield, born in Norfolk,Woodrising .If you think it might be him I will check it out for you. April

Thank-you everyone! John, I have put the rest of my tree on here, I can't put my gggrandad on as I have no year of birth or place of birth. All I know is he had my great grandad, Herbert, in 1875 so I am assuming he was married prior to that and was possibly born around 1845-1850. He married a woman called Hannah Maria Danes. The family were then from Sheffield and, so I am told, earlier from Woodrising which would mean the James Jenness April has found is a possibility. Rosemary, thank-you I think I can stretch to £25 for three months, that is much chaeper than the website I saw. Onwards and upwards!

Sarah this is the family off the 1891 James Jenness 58 ,Carter born Norfolk Woodrising Hannah Maria 54 born Norfolk ,Hingham Herbert 15 Joiners Apprentice born Yorkshire, Chapeltown. Arthur 11 scholar born Yorkshire ,Chapeltown, They were living 16? Station Road, Eccesfiled, Yorkshire. Hope this is of help April

April, THANK-YOU! That must be him, you are a life saver. Sarah