Puzzling entry in 1861 Census

[AudreyF]

Elias Hawkins born in Blandford Forum, Dorset in 1844. He married in 1870 and occupation is noted as a tailor. His father was James Hawkins and mother was Deborah Hawkins.

I have the family in the 1851 census in Blandford with Deborah as a widow. Elias is 6 years old.

1861 is a bit odd! The only/best is Elias Hawkins as a 16 year old tailor in Blandford. (Registration District: Blandford. Sub-registration District: Blandford. Ed: 4. Piece: 1333. Folio: 87. Page 25). But, he is noted (with his brother Abraham) as a son and the head of the household is the widowed Mary A. Cherrett who also has her daughter, Mary A. Cherrett and son Henry Cherrett and then the two Hawkins boys both described as sons. Can I be sure this is my Elias and put the relationships down to error?

[Pam Downes]

Have you looked at the actual image, and not relied just on the transcription? (Indexed as you described on Ancestry; indexed as a separate household on FMP.)
If you at the image, Abraham and Elias are the first two entries on the page so you need to look at the previous page as well. When you do, you will see that there is a double line under Henry Cherrett's name, indicating the end of the occupants of that particular house. If Deborah, the mother of Abraham and Elias is missing from the 1861 census (and is not deceased) then the chances are that she should have been included with them, but was missed off in error.

Pam

[AudreyF]

Aha! I see your point. I did look at the actual image and clicked to the previous page to see the head of the household. I hadn't spotted the double line significance though. So, I suppose this is Abraham and Elias living alone and mother, Deborah, is somewhere else. I'll look for her.

Enumerator error strikes again!

[Pamelawagster]

There’s a Deborah Hawkins 1801 widow at West Street, Blandford Forum, Blandford, Dorset, England.

Servant to a Ball family.

[AudreyF]

Thank you. I think this is her as she was a nurse on another census. It's good to think we agree.

[AudreyF]

And 1871 ……………… possibly more enumerator errors?!

Looking for Elias Hawkins in 1871 shows no sign of him. He married Julia Wright in 1870. Julia Wright appears in St. Ives (RG10/Piece 1531/Folio31/Page20) as a boarder, married, 26 years old and working as a dressmaker (she is a tailoress in 1901 census) born in Lidlington, Bedfordshire. All correct.

The person above her is James Hawkins, a boarder, married, 26 years old and born in Blandford. All correct for Elias. I don't know who James Hawkins is or where Elias is and why he isn't with Julia so I am wondering if 'James' is really Elias. 'James' is down as a 'seaman'. Elias was a tailor. Could 'tailor' look like 'sailor' and become 'seaman' on transferring information?

Elias and Julia's first child (Edward Henry) was born 2Q 1871 in St. Ives, Huntingdonshire.

[Pamelawagster]

1871 census reads as Edward Hawkins,26,Seaman. Not JAMES.

[AudreyF]

Yes, Edward. I don't know who he is, if he is connected and doesn't explain where Elias is.

Julia is noted as 'boarders wife' so maybe married to Edward and neither of these two are 'mine' which means I haven't got Julia in 1871 either. Julia and Elias' son born in St. Ives in 1871 has a baptism record for East Grinstead which shows them as parents and their next sons were born in Reigate and Red Hill which is close to East Grinstead.

Edward Hawkins born 1846 in Blandford with mother's maiden name of Thorne.

[Pamelawagster]

Transcription error maybe? Head of the house may have given the wrong name but also the wrong occupation!