Missing from census

[Debbiexx]

I am struggling to locate my great great grandad in the 1851 census. He is named William James Millington born 1846 in Longton stoke on trent. I have found him in all other census until his death. What reasons could there be for his ommission? Can anyone help?
Thanks Debbie

[Kiltpin]

I am struggling to locate my great great grandad in the 1851 census. He is named William James Millington born 1846 in Longton stoke on trent. I have found him in all other census until his death. What reasons could there be for his ommission? Can anyone help?
Thanks Debbie

Travelling, away from home. Many of my wife's relatives were trawlermen and some never appear on a census, but managed to produce a child every two years!

I heard of one man who was deliberately not recorded because "The old goat should be dead by now".

Regards

Kiltpin

[Megan Roberts]

What were his parents names?

There is a James Millington of about the right age living with his parents Edward and Eliza.


It may be that his family were not around when the enumerator called, or perhaps that part of the census has been lost or damaged.

[Debbiexx]

Have seen the family you were referring to but there is no William. My William ' s father was James Millington born in Longton, Stoke on trent approx 1826. There is a james millington in 1841 census living with others with no apparent connection to him though the area they lived would be correct. Can't find him on 1851 census either. The plot thickens!! Thanks for your trouble Megan

[Megan Roberts]

One thing I forgot to mention is that our ability to find our relatives in things like the census can be limited by the quality or lack of the transcriptions.

For instance I looked for one family in the 1871 census for about 5 years with the surname Gambold. Eventually I found them on Findmypast under the name Gumbould, and when I double checked on Ancestry I discovered that that site does not recognise the references (piece, folio and page numbers) that are listed at FMP!!

So how to overcome those sorts of problems?

When searching start with the minimum amount of information - names only - and then refine the search results by adding in ages, locations etc.

If that does not work look at surname variations or try wild card searching - for instance in my case if I had put in G*mb* I would have found them on FMP, but not on Ancestry because there the page must be missing.

If you are pretty certain where they were living another way would be to page turn the census to see if you can find them.