1851 Census Dorset Place Query

[dreward]

I have just been looking up a name in the Dorset 1851 Census where I find the children of the couple I am looking for are all born at Longbredy/Long Bredy - DEVON!

Now I know there were certain boundary changes that took place between Devon and Dorset in the 1800s but surely the Devon border was never so close to Dorchester.

Is this a genuine transcription error? On the original the first two children show born "Do Longbredy", after that "Do ---- Do -----". Has this been mistaken for Devon?????

Can anyone clarify this for me?

The reference is Symes, Joseph 1851 Census RG HO107 Piece 1858 Folio 553 Page 32

My thanks

Dave

[bjelkier]

I think this was just a mistake by the enumerator, all the names above Joseph are 'ditto Dorset', Joseph's wife being Devon, and I just think he has just used 'ditto' for the rest of the family as further down the page he has Long Bredy as being Dorset.

[malcolm99]

Hello Dave
It looks like an enumerator’s mistake to me as the family’s servant Jane Bartlett is listed as having been born in Longbredy, Dorset, as is their neighbour John Ellery. Also note that for the visitor, Maria Carter, ‘Devon’ is spelled out as though the enumerator knows that the entries above this relate to Dorset.
Hope that doesn’t sound too convoluted!
malcolm99