Advice on missing census records

[Delta Golf]

Hi,

I'm looking for some advice/tips when a family search through the census returns no records. For example, I'm researching the GREGG family from Ripon, Yorkshire, UK. I know my G-G-G-G-G-Grandfather (John) was born crica 1804 and had Robert (my G-G-G-G-Grandfather) born in Ripon on 29/5/1839. The 1841 census shows John & co including Robert as a 2 year old. The 1851 more or less the same with Robert now 13. However, I can't find any records of Robert in the 1861 census. I know he got married in 1859 (to Ann Mitchell) and had children in 1861, 1862, 1865, 1866 & 1869 (all born Ripon and is shown in the 1871 census) which suggests he didn't go overseas. How can I find out what happended & where between 1851-1871?|help|

Any ideas?

Thanks
Dave Gregg

[Peter Goodey]

Some people have found this National Archives podcast helpful

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/podcast/solving-census-problems.mp3

[MarkJ]

If he was in Ripon in 1859 and the children were born in Ripon, then chances are that they are mistranscribed in 1861.
Have you tried searching using wildcards/alternative spellings? Are you looking at transcribed records? There are some very imaginative guesses on sites with transcriptions of the censuses - although to be fair, the writing is often dire which doesn't help!

Mark

[Mutley]

Do you have the birth certificate of the child born in 1861?

If you knew the address they were living at then it might be easier to find them.

There is more than one family of Gregg's in North Street in Ripon in 1861 but not with a Robert or Ann as parents. Have you tried looking through all 37 pages house by house to see if the name is mistranscribed?

[Delta Golf]

Thank-you all for your help,

I've tried the wildcard approach to no avail, but will keep researching. Interesting that one of Roberts sons (born 22/1/1862) is shown as being born at Allhallowgate, Ripon. This is the same street as his Grandfather (John) lived as shown in the 1841 & 1871 census (the 1851 & 1861 show residency as Queens Street & Finkle Street resp. which are next to Allhallowgate!) with North Street very close by where more Greggs lived! Robert is also shown to live in Allhallowgate in the 1871 census!

Thanks
Dave