1841 Census Problem

[Allan Robson]

Hello All
I have a query on the 1841 Census in which the Husband of My Ancestors is not at Home it also says 'these are the only members of this Household'
Does this mean at the the time the census was taken of the husband had left the family and gone off, the problem is the husband was on the scene somewhere as he fathered a child born in Oct 1841.
Was he working away when the 1841 Census was taken in June 1841?.
Maybe someone can help.

Regards
Allan Robson

[Geoffers]

I have a query on the 1841 Census in which the Husband of My Ancestors is not at Home it also says 'these are the only members of this Household'
There's a certain finality about the statement; as though anyone who knows the area and residents would expect there to be more people present. Within my own experience, additional notes of this nature are not common.

It would be reading too much into it to draw any definite conclusions just from the statement alone, but in your shoes I'd be checking the census returns for the whole area to see if the husband had done a moonlight.

Also check to see if he can be found in any burial register/death index. Do you know what he did for a living?

continued....

[Geoffers]

part 2...

the problem is the husband was on the scene somewhere as he fathered a child born in Oct 1841.
The 1841 census took place in June, so a birth in October of the same year would mean it was quite possible that he was the father.

Is the source of this a census, parish register baptism, birth certificate? I ask because this is just a record of what someone has told someone else and needn't necessarily be true.

I'll give an example, my wife's gt-grandfather's birth certificate names his father and helpfully notes that the father was deceased. This is true, but what the certificate doesn't mention is that the father died five years earlier. Either this was a very long pregnancy worthy of the Guinness Book of Records; or someone wasn't quite being entirely truthful.

continued....

[Geoffers]

part 3...

To help us, would you transcribe the census entry (including location) into this thread? There may be something in it, or its location which you've missed and a fresh pair of eyes may pick up. Look through the rest of the enumerator's book, does he make many other similar notes? Or is this the exception, in which case the note may bear even greater significance.

How is the family recorded in the 1851 census?

Geoffers

[Allan Robson]

Hello Geoff
Thanks for you reply 1841 Census for Pemberton St, Hetton-Le-Hole, Durham
Eleaner Robson age 30
Robert age 13
Mary Ann age 9
Elizabeth age 8
Douglas age 5
John age 1
'These are the only family members of this Household'
it then says property uninhabited whick makes think there were Squatting.

Also I have the birth Cert Of Margaret Robson born 5th Oct 1841 Parents John Robson ( Joiner) & Eleanor Robson(nee Urwin) these were also the parents of the above Children, although I cant John aged 1 anywhere not Registered and as yet no Baptism.

Regards
Allan

[Allan Robson]

Part 2
1851 Census
John Robson age 46 born Corbridge
Eleanor age 41 born Byker
John age 11 born Sunderland
Margaret age 10 born Sunderland
Armstrong age 8 born Hetton
Although Margaret is down as being born Sunderland her Birth Cert says Hetton which is 4 mile from Sunderland.

Regards
Allan

[Geoffers]

'These are the only family members of this Household'
it then says property uninhabited whick makes think there were Squatting.
Does the 'property uninhabited' definitely relate to the same address? Are there any zingle or double lines after the names of your Robsons and before the statement about the empty property?


Also I have the birth Cert Of Margaret Robson born 5th Oct 1841 Parents John Robson ( Joiner)
As John was back with family in 1851, I would guess that he was simply away working at the time of the 1841 census.

Geoffers

[Allan Robson]

Hello Geoff
I have never seen the Actual 1841 Census entry I got my info from Durham Records the address was Pemberton St, Hetton-Le-Hole.

Regards
Allan

[Mythology]

"I got my info from Durham Records" ...

... who *might* have written the 'These are the only family members of this Household' note, just to let you know that they'd transcribed the lot, not missed out any lodgers or whatever of different surnames!

Originals should always be checked in any case, but where something is not 100% straightforward, then the first thing you should do is check the original before drawing any conclusions from the supposed entry.

[Geoffers]

I have never seen the Actual 1841 Census entry I got my info from Durham Records the address was Pemberton St, Hetton-Le-Hole.

As Myth has mentioned, you do need to look at the original census entry to see what is recorded - were there other families in the same property? Has the note been added by the transcriber for Durham Records? Is the page damaged?

I'm sure that they have done their best to interpret the census, but mistakes do happen. Only use their information as a research guide, to help you pinpoint the entries you want in the census returns written in the enumerator's own handwriting. Until you do, you will never know for sure what was recorded.

Geoffers

[Allan Robson]

Thanks Geoff
I will try to look at the Original of the 1841 Census, but my main aim is to try to find where the family were living 1835-1841.
As there may have been a child born these years that died before the 1841 Census.

Regards
Allan