Meaning of markups on a 1911 Census form?

[History_Hunter]

I have an image from the 1911 Census in which the name, "Head" and age for the original "Head" entry has been stricken out and the fellow's wife has "Head" written in the column adjacent to "Wife". The fellow signed the form, so he's not absent or dead (I do have a much later record of his burial). I also note that someone has entered occupation codes etc. for him, so they obviously thought he was alive.

I did look for him elsewhere, but didn't see another record (not that the absence would prove anything). I almost didn't find the sheet, because the fellow's name did not appear to have been entered into the database.

Has anyone seen this before and understand what's happening?

[christanel]

Would you like to give us the names and ages of the members of the household so we can take a look ourselves?
Christina

[History_Hunter]

Sorry, "christanel". I know I can't publish images and didn't assume that a reader would have a subscription for the 1911 Census that could be used to view the record.

Here is a partial extraction with some notes.

My Ref No.: RG014_Pc-02212_RG078_Pc-0075_Rd-026_Sd-02_Ed-24_Sn-243

Schedule No. 243

Frederick Wells, Head, 44, Married [Married added in col 5 in green. col 1-4 stricken out in black, col 6-9 stricken out in red, col 10, 12-15 stricken out in black]
Ethleen Wells, Wife, 37, “ [“HEAD” added in col 3, quote added in col 5. All additions in green]
Constance do, Daughter, 13, Single
Ruby do, do, 9, -
Frederick do, Son, 5, -
Jessie do, Daughter, 2, -


Signed by: Frederick Wells
Address: 79 Grant Rd., Battersea

[Pam Downes]

Gary,
You are safe to assume that most people on the forum have access to either/or FMP and Ancestry, as well as all the free stuff such as FreeBMD, FreeCEN, FreeREG, FamilySearch, etc, so all you need to do is give enough details for people to locate the record. In this case, census ref, name, age, address.

Never seen that before regarding the head of the family. Can only assume that either Fred wasn't in when the enumerator collected the form, and
(a) who ever gave him the form misunderstood a question about Fred actually being in the house
or
(b) there was no misunderstanding and Fred had been missing on the night. Sleeping under the table in the pub? Singing away to himself in a police cell?

Pam

[History_Hunter]

Gary,
You are safe to assume that most people on the forum have access to either/or FMP and Ancestry, as well as all the free stuff such as FreeBMD, FreeCEN, FreeREG, FamilySearch, etc, so all you need to do is give enough details for people to locate the record. In this case, census ref, name, age, address.

Never seen that before regarding the head of the family. Can only assume that either Fred wasn't in when the enumerator collected the form, and
(a) who ever gave him the form misunderstood a question about Fred actually being in the house
or
(b) there was no misunderstanding and Fred had been missing on the night. Sleeping under the table in the pub? Singing away to himself in a police cell?

Pam

Thanks, Pam;

What makes this so odd is that Frederick Wells signed the form.

(By the way...the spreadsheets we discussed earlier are a great aid in organizing the data and spotting holes and inconsistencies. Never would have organized much of what I've found with just a genealogy program.)

[Pam Downes]

Thanks, Pam;

What makes this so odd is that Frederick Wells signed the form.

(By the way...the spreadsheets we discussed earlier are a great aid in organizing the data and spotting holes and inconsistencies. Never would have organized much of what I've found with just a genealogy program.)

Fred could easily have filled out and signed the form before the enumerator visited, just as most people do nowadays.

Pleased the spreadsheets are helping. They certainly made it easier for me.

Pam

[helachau]

The Enumerator's List records the "Population" column as "Male = 1", "Female = 4", "Persons = 5" (cols 9, 10 and 11).

In the "Name of Occupier" column it records Surname only (all entries) but added in red is the status "Mr" or "Mrs". The Surname Wells at No 79 is marked "Mrs".

[Pam Downes]

Thanks helachau.
I meant to check the enumerator's book myself, but got distracted and forgot.

Pam

[Chris Doran]

I'd guess he filled in the form in advance and then got called away unexpectedly on business or a family emergency (did any far away relatives die around that time?) Maybe he was overseas or whoever he was with didn't have enough information to record him well enough for you to find, or he said: "Don't bother, I've registered at home", not realising the rules.

[History_Hunter]

Chris;
I'm thinking you may be correct. The enumerator would have stricken out his name if he was not present at the time of the census. Not sure why he'd put his wife as the "Head" though. Present or not, if he was alive, he was the "Head". I haven't gotten enough info assembled yet to see if someone had died at about the time of the census. However; I will need to examine that possibility.