This is the most confusing problem I have ever come across, if anyone has any ideas I'd be very grateful.
I have been researching my ggd grandfather John Hodgson b. 1870. He was born in Westmorland along with many others of the same name, On his marriage certificate it states that his father was also called John Hodgson and he was a blacksmith.
With this information I soon found the household census records of John Hodgson b. 1838(ish) married to Mary with a son called John. He was the blacksmith in Hutton roof, Westmorland and he was born in Kirkby Lonsdale.
I then set about finding census records for his entire life and planned to find his parents in this manner.
1891. John Hodgson - blacksmith in Hutton roof. B. Kirkby Lonsdale. Wife Mary, kids including John Hodgson born 1838
1881. John Hodgson - blacksmith in Hutton roof. B. Kirkby Lonsdale. Wife Mary, kids including John Hodgson born 1838
1871. John Hodgson - agricultural labourer!? In lupton. B. Kirkby Lonsdale. Wife Mary and the same kids with the same dates of birth as in the later census
1861. Can't find joy. Hodgson the blacksmith or blacksmith apprentice. Found 2 farm labourers, could be either but I imagined he must have to have been an apprentice or son of a blacksmith
THIS IS WHERE IT GETS CONFUSING
Option 1
1851- John Hodgson - son of blacksmith aged 12 in Lupton. B Kirkby Lonsdale
Option 2
1851- John Hodgson - apprentice blacksmith aged 14 in Lupton. B Holme (very near Kirkby Lonsdale
Both of these two options are on the same census record from the same house. The head of the family was George Hodgson the blacksmith who has a son aged 12 called John and an apprentice aged 14. I can find a previous census from 1841 with George as the blacksmith and his young son John.
I'm stumped, any ideas?