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Flo R.
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Census Anomoly - Mary Ann RAINBOW
« on: Saturday 05 September 09 15:55 UTC (UK) »
How were census records written down - on the scene, or transcribed? I have found a discrepancy regarding the wife of Samuel Rainbow of Toddington. Her name was Mary Ann Hathaway or Attaway. They married in Toddington on October 17, 1831, and all the records indicate that she was the daughter of Abraham Attaway, of Edlesborough, Bucks.,and christened in there on Oct. 27, 1811. That Mary Ann had a younger sister Lucy, who also married in Toddington, in 1840.

This is consistent with the 1861 census, which gives Mary Ann's birthplace as Edlesborough. The 1851 census, though, has Mary Ann born in Edgar, Nottinghamshire, and 1841 does not list a birthplace. There is no evidence of Samuel having married two women named Mary Ann, and family lore passed down through daughter Charlotte, born in 1850, confirms her maiden name.  I have found no one with any variant spelling of the name  in Nottinghamshore records at the relevant time. So, is it likely that there was some sort of confusion over Edgar and Edlesborough when the records were complied?
« Last Edit: Monday 07 September 09 13:49 UTC (UK) by Rick » Logged
danuslave
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Posts: 953


My fashion sense isn't any better now!
Re: Census Anomoly - Mary Ann Rainbow
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 05 September 09 16:28 UTC (UK) »
Hi and welcome to RootsChat

As far as I know, census returns have always been filled in by someone in the household (with help if they were illiterate) then the details were transcribed into the Enumerator's book.  Apart from 1911, all the original returns were destroyed so, at best you're looking at a transcription

I have lots of instances where people's places of birth change from one census to another.  It depends on who filled in the form and how well they knew them.

Also, if a child is born in one place, but moves while still young, the returns filled in by his/her parents may show the correct place of birth, while the ones he fills in himself may show the first place he remembers.

If everything else fits, I would be inclined not to worry too much.  Just make a note in whatever recording mechanism you are using, in case anything crops up in the future.

Linda

PS As you have already discovered, people's names change, never mind POB   Cheesy
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Flo R.
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Re: Census Anomoly - Mary Ann Rainbow
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 05 September 09 21:08 UTC (UK) »
Thanks, Linda. That was my guess. Those records seemed too neat to be taken in the field, even with the beautiful penmanship used by so many in the 19th century. This family was probably illiterate - at any rate, they both signed their marriage certificate with an X, so that's an extra level where a problem could arise. Every other piece of data is consistent, so I'll just keep this tucked away as an extra note.

You're right about spellings - some of the variations of ancestral names I've come across are really far from the mark. But what's interesting is that they often give an indication of how it was pronounced, which may have changed over time, or, in the case of non English speaking immigrants, how native speakers heard it. 

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