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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: wendy47 on Wednesday 18 March 09 23:50 GMT (UK)
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First time I've come across something like this and thought it was of interest.
Cranbrook, Kent
George Cox 30 [Drinking - slept in shed] enumerator put - AGH
William Hawkins 19 [Vagabond - slept in shed] " " "
1891 Census RG12; Piece: 694; Folio 88; Page 13
Wendy
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on one census entry i was looking at it stated "at home but dead"
I presume he had died on or near to census night!!!!
Suz
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;D ;D ;D
I saw one a while back - sadly I didn't make a note of where - and the enumerator had written right across the whole sheet
Mr *** at this address is an obnixious character who refused to speak civily to me or answer any questions
;D ;D ;D
Suz - just seen yours ;D :o :o ;D
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on one census entry i was looking at it stated "at home but dead"
I presume he had died on or near to census night!!!!
Suz
I remember seeing similar it said something like:
"Mr xxx - Deceased lying in coffin" .......... I am presuming this meant he had been taken home before he was buried as used to be the custom.
I didnt keep a record of it sadly!
On the other end of the scale I have spotted ............. "4 hour old baby girl - not yet named" on one cencus report .............
Gaille
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I love parish records too. I've seen some hilarious comments by the vicars over the years. Should make a note really.
wendy
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I've got a little list of those, Wendy - they're great, aren't they :D
" Baptised Bastard child of Mary Brown, gotten of John Smith (so she saith) " ;D ;D
Some vicars wrote a lot of notes - takes ages to find anything in those parish records - spend too much time reading the gossip ;D
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Bit friendly, was she???
Wendy
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In 1901 I have my Grandad as Baby - transcribed as Boby in Ancestry.
Also In 1871 I have somone as condemned prisoner in Gaol - he was hung on census day. I thought the census was of those "living under the roof" on census night.
Spark
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Hi
I'm sure he had no interest in the census as it was his last night on earth. The census is taken about the previous night's habitation.
wendy
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On the other end of the scale I have spotted ............. "4 hour old baby girl - not yet named" on one cencus report .............
I just found a 1 day old boy.
My great aunt is also on the census, having been born the day after the census was technically taken (the enumerator obviously came around the next morning - by which time she was born!). Great grandparents had already chosen her name, and she was listed as "under 1 month", but she would have been under 1 day old.
Andrew
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On the other end of the scale I have spotted ............. "4 hour old baby girl - not yet named" on one cencus report .............
I just found a 1 day old boy.
In the 1880 US census, I have one who was in the process of being born ... mother listed as 'in childbirth" at the time enumerator took the data.
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I have just found on the 1851-
John Johnson Head U 49 Ag Lab
Hannah Hewins Mistress U 41 Worker Woman
George Hewins Mistress's Son U 15 Ag Lab
Henry Hewins Mistress's Son U 10 Ag Lab
Mary Hewins Mistress's Dau U 4
Thomas Hewins Mistress's Son 1
HO 107/2074
I don't think the enumerator approved:-)
Ange
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Yes
My great, great grandmother was down as being a kept mistress as I believe he was still married but the children were down as sons and daughters.
Wendy ;D
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lol wonderful, loved reading those, specially the bastard child one... keep em comin!
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Found this in the 1841 census "10 males/7 females in tents/open air,travelling tinkers,dealers in earthenware". There must have been lots of people like these who were not recorded properly.
also a gg grandmother of mine in the 1871 census age 16 described as "maid of all work".
Steve
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"Maid of all work" was a bona fide job title...a servant who did all duties of a household. Watch Channel 4's The 1900 House for a good example of such a servant.
Cheers,
China
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John Johnson Head U 49 Ag Lab
Hannah Hewins Mistress U 41 Worker Woman ........
How about this one?
(http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f172/gracefly/concubine.jpg)
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A christening in Somerset in 1615 states:
John Luke son of Mary Cocks (both a vagrant and a whoore)
I don't think the vicar liked her at all ;D
Ange
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Hi
I have a few strange parish entries that i have came across
A poore youth that died at hunt
Harisons Bastard
Vagrant possibly Scots
Sara d. of Dorothy kendrick and reputed to be Walter Collins child
Robt s. of Maxfield being first to be buried in flannell
Mrs Mary Chetwind was bury'd in linnen and the forfiture paid by order from sir Charles Woolseley
Edward son of a trvelling woman (strangers child)
A child found in ye street
Dorothy Fernis neice to president Brad-Shaw of execrable memory
It made e wonder was it unusuall for bodies to be wrapped in material when being buried as quite a lot say linnen, flannell and Woolen
Louise :D
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It made e wonder was it unusuall for bodies to be wrapped in material when being buried as quite a lot say linnen, flannell and Woolen
Louise :D
Hi Louise.
It was the opposite - there was an act of parliament in 1660/80 that stated that bodies should be buried in a pure Wool shroud unless they were plague victims
They were supposed to be buried in pure wool shrouds, and no other textile.
The family had to state that the burial WAS in wool, or there was a find to pay, as noted in :
Mrs Mary Chetwind was bury'd in linnen and the forfiture paid by order from sir Charles Woolseley
i.e. Sir Charles paid a fine for using Linen instead of Wool.
The very poor were sometimes noted as being buried Naked, which meant that they had no shroud in the coffin.
The legislation was in place until 1814, but not realy enforced after 1770 ish.
Gaille
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They were supposed to be buried in pure wool shrouds, and no other textile.
I understand this was to shore up the wool industry - so a purely commercial matter!
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Hi
Thanks for that it is interesting to know i was curious as to why they kept mentioning what people were buried in.
Louise
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[They were supposed to be buried in pure wool shrouds, and no other textile.
The family had to state that the burial WAS in wool, or there was a find to pay, as noted in :
Mrs Mary Chetwind was bury'd in linnen and the forfiture paid by order from sir Charles Woolseley
i.e. Sir Charles paid a fine for using Linen instead of Wool.
I read somewhere that those with money would often choose linen rather than wool, as there was a certain social cachet attached to (a) burying in linen rather than coarse wool, and (b) being able to afford to pay the resulting fine!
Anna :)
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This one made me laugh ;D
4 consecutive entries in parish register:
1 Blank space as the date is missing ::)
2 9th
3 Yesterday ??? ::) :P ;D
4 21st
Whoever said Genealogy was boring ???
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My G.G. uncle was listed on the 1901 census as "imbecile from childhood", I have often wondered whether this was done by his mother who was head of the house or by the enumerator, whichever and taking into consideration the date I still think it was rather harsh.
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While searching for my elusive 5x greatgrandfather I came across a PR which stated "born in fornication" ;D
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As I pointed out in another thread:
Some terms do have a formal definition in the UK although they are no longer used :
Term Idiot IQ 0 to 25 Modern term Severe learning disability
Imbecile 25 to 50 Moderate learning disability
Feeble minded 50 to 70 Mild learning disability
Those with an IQ of less than 50 usually need care throughout life and are unlikely to educable in the formal sense
Different world back then; different meanings! ;D
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I think it was in the 1881 census for Aberdeen that I came across a man described as "Teacher Feeble brained". I think the comment applied to the type of pupils he taught, but maybe not!
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Thank you for the information KGarrad, it actually makes it much better. Now I know it was the official way to record people it seems less harsh and more acceptable. I can live with that.
Many thanks.
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Enjoyed reading these ;D Here's another I came across, the 1881 Census of my 3x great-grandma who was living with her son, his wife and their kiddies. I wonder if the enumerator wrote from personal experience or if it was a family joke!
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LOLOLOL ... hmmm.. checks its not my name w that remark ;)