Genealogy Chat

I cannot trace my great aunt Ellen (Helen) Hicken on the 1901 census. I have tried all combinations of her name and found nothing that fits. She was born in Wichenford, Worcester in 1853 and was usually employed as a domestic servant or barmaid. She is not the Ellen Hicken registered in Walsall. Can anyone suggest anything? Oh, and she knocked a few years off her age. Thanks Helena

Hi Helen, I couldnt find my grandma on 1901 last week,although I knew she was there as I had found her months earlier,then mislaid info.Tried for hours,then suddenly she reappeared two day later.Apparently thats not unusual with that site.Or had your aunt got married? sorry dont know what else to suggest,hope the more expert members can help you Good Luck Kathleen

Hi Kathleen, Thanks for the tip. She did not marry according to her death cert although she had a child in 1881 (No trace of him). Helena

Hi Have you tried searching by christian name only - this can be done if you put in gender, place and date of birth. I thought several members of my family were missing but found them eventually by this method. Surnames are often transcribed incorrectly. Good luck!

Sometimes the surname you find bears absolutely NO relationship to the name you're looking for - keep trying. Also do remember that the transcription errors don't JUST occur in names - places also have a high error rate. Graham

Helena, This is on the 1881 census so it looks like her son was called Frank. John HICKEN Head M Male 35 Wichenford Bricklayers Laborer Elizabeth HICKEN Wife M Female 28 St Johns Wife Henry HICKEN Son U Male 2 Wichenford Child Mary HICKEN Dauter U Female 4 m Wichenford Ellen HICKEN Sister U Female 28 Wichenford Barmaid (Inn Servt) Frank HICKEN Sisters Son U Male 3 m Wichenford Crista

Thank you all for suggestions. I have now tried christian name and alternative spellings for place and name. Still nothing. Can anyone suggest different spellings of Hicken? Cheers Helena

Helena Know just how you feel I appear to have whole family mum, dad and 3 kids missing, have tried every alternative for surname and place name still nothing have also tried different combinations have decided to leave it for while and come back to it maybe with a clear mind will solve it Shelli

There's an Ellen HICKSON 49 Bn Warwickshire N.K. in Kent. Bexley. Also an Ellen HICKMAN, 43 Bn Warcshire (sic) in Birmingham. Jill

Hi Helena Have you tried Hichen? I found some of mine where the 'k' had been transcribed as 'h'. Sue

Helena - found the following family on the 1901 census - I've stripped out all the page ID's etc: Forenames,Lastname,Age,PRO Age,Year Born,Where Born,Census Place,Census County,Occupation John,HICKEN,54,54,1847,Worcesters Wichenford,Wichenford,Worcester,Inn Keeper Elizabeth,HICKEN,49,49,1852,Worcesters St Johns,Wichenford,Worcester Mary,HICKEN,20,20,1881,Worcesters Wichenford,Wichenford,Worcester,Barmaid George,HICKEN,17,17,1884,Worcesters Wichenford,Wichenford,Worcester,Farm Labourer Frank,HICKEN,15,15,1886,Worcesters Wichenford,Wichenford,Worcester,Butchers Lad Martin,HICKEN,12,12,1889,Worcesters Wichenford,Wichenford,Worcester,School Winifred,HICKEN,9,9,1892,Worcesters Wichenford,Wichenford,Worcester,School Edith,HICKEN,5,5,1896,Worcesters Wichenford,Wichenford,Worcester,School Graham

Hi Helen I had the same problem with my Great Grandfather on the 1881 census. I found him in the end by getting his birth certificate (I knew his year and place of birth from 1901 census and his name was not too common fortunately ) I then searched for his parents, I couldn't find his father, but eventually found his mother after alot of perseverance, and low and behold the whole family was there. I had missed my GGgrandfather because they had only entered his name and age and no other details against him at all, and I missed his father because his name was John(so there were many) and he came from somewhere I just wasn't expecting(not the moon as many have suggested!) So maybe you could try searching "around" her to find her? Regards Maxine

Thank you all for your suggestions. I eventually found her as: Helen Hichen (Ellen Hicken) Worc (Worcester) Wickenford (Wichenford) and she knocked 5 years off her age. And I thought I had tried all combinations!!! Thanks again Helena