William Blackburn, age 70, 1851 census

[Andrew Mead]

I'm trying to find William in the 1851 census on A***y. He appears in Gordon Beavington's transcription of Bristol, on piece 1949, section VII, No 34 so the piece still exists but I can't find him and census image. If I browse the collection, enumeration district 2g is missing and most of the descriptions of the enumeration districts show summary sheets instead. I have asked A***y - don't know when I'll get a reply though! Anyone else found problems with this piece?

[olliecat]

I'm trying to find William in the 1851 census on A***y. He appears in Gordon Beavington's transcription of Bristol, on piece 1949, section VII, No 34 so the piece still exists but I can't find him and census image.

I don't know what Section VII etc. means for the reference you give. I looked on a number of sites for William Blackburn, age 70 in Bristol but I could only find him on theGenealogist.

He was living with his sister Mary, his occupation was hat block maker and he was a widower. For anyone else looking, the address is 11 Rosemary Street in the registration district of Bristol St Paul, Gloucestershire. As far as I can make out the reference is HO107/1949/F292/P7.

Checking both Ancestry and FMP using this reference, I could find nothing. In fact, there was only one page on FMP using that piece and folio number. Searching by address was completely weird since clicking on any transcription for Rosemary Street, Bristol St Paul brought up places in Rochester Kent rather than Bristol. I have not figured that one out.

Checking the National Archives 1851 Street Index for Bristol, the Piece and Folio numbers for Rosemary Street in Bristol are HO 107/1949, 155-158, 289-294

So there certainly appears to be a problem with this piece/folio.

[olliecat]

Checking both Ancestry and FMP using this reference, I could find nothing. In fact, there was only one page on FMP using that piece and folio number.

Have found him on FMP at last. The census reference on that site is HO107 piece 1949 folio 291 page 7 rather than HO107 piece 1949 folio 292 page 7. Now to have another look on Ancestry.

[olliecat]

Well after much struggling with Ancestry, they appear to have a page missing. This should be the sequence for Bristol St Paul, district 2f.

HO107 piece 1949 folio 291 page 6
10 Rosemary Street is at the bottom of the page and living there is John Ponting.

HO107 piece 1949 folio 291 (or 292) page 7
Your William BLACKBURN is toward the top of this page living at 11 Rosemary Street. Toward the bottom of this page there is a chap called William Pottinger and his daughter is listed on the next page.

HO107 piece 1949 folio 292 page 8
William Pottinger's daugher Elizabeth Pottinger is at the top of this page.

However, on Ancestry, the middle page 7 is missing and Elizabeth Pottinger is transcribed as the daughter of John Ponting from page 6. I hope this makes sense.

[Mutley]

Goodness me Puddy Tat! that is a wonderful bit of sleuthing on your part. Well done.

[Andrew Mead]

Olliecat - very many thanks for that. Thanks for your time - it's good there are those here who like impossible searches! Now to see if Ancestry understand the problem and can sort it. I frequently find their transcriptions so obscure, the only way to track someone down is a first name only search, but you need a lot more detail for this - birth year and place etc.
Anyway, good to get confirmation they have missed the page - pity it was the one I wanted

Andrew

[Andrew Mead]

Now you've found it for me and I have had a chance to look, I can do a search for folio 291, page 6, but on scrolling through the pages I note that ALL odd numbered pages - i.e. the left hand ones - are missing. Only the right hand page with the folio number are on Ancestry's site and indexed! So 17 page images are missing.
Andrew