Silly census question

[clairec666]

I have a 3xgreat-uncle whose family "goes missing" in 1881. They were a farming family in Kent and all their children were baptised in the same village, where they lived in both 1871 and 1891. No sign of them in 1881. It's only a small village so I've looked through the images for the whole village. I can only assume that they were missed somehow, and I've had to accept I'll never find them.

[jesika jae]

Once again, my thanks to all who have read my question.
I had considered the Suffragette supporters idea & dismissed it.
I had considered a holiday, possible but unlikely because the head of the family was a miner and certainly in the mining village where I grew up, holidays were in the summer not spring.
I had NOT thought that the enumerator might have been less than meticulous or that the papers simply lost.
I thank you all & ask please not to pursue the question further, your time & efforts can be better spent on more important topics.
Many thanks
jj

[philipsearching]

I thank you all & ask please not to pursue the question further, your time & efforts can be better spent on more important topics.

You are very welcome, but I have to add that questions like yours are fun!  Personally, I really appreciate questions that make me do some thinking. 

[stanmapstone]

Several weeks after each main Census  a small sample "check" census is undertaken.   Probably a computer generates the addresses at random.

If you look at the 1871 census transcriptions I did in 2000 you will see the later additions in red.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01hfg/

This Bottesford part of the census was -
Transcribed by enumerator, Henry Norris, on  07 April 1871
Examined by Registrar, Charles Goodson, on 24 April 1871
Examined by Superintendent Registrar, R H Johnston, 16 May 1871
Revised by H Graves 22nd August 1871

Cheers
Guy

"The enumerator's books were supposed to be checked by the registrars and superintendent registrars before dispatch to the Census Office in London. In the Cesus Office the books were gone over again to sort out any problems or ambiguities in the data, reference no doubt being made to the household schedules."  "Making Sense of the Census Revisited" Edward Higgs.

Stan

[ScouseBoy]

When did Edward Higgs write that, though?

[jesika jae]

Again, my grateful thanks to all who have helped and apologies to those I have confused.
Time to put the topic behind me and concentrate on what I know & hope soon to confirm.
Thank you
jj
110416

[Guy Etchells]

When did Edward Higgs write that, though?

I believe the first edition of Making Sense of the Census by Edward Higgs was in 1989 with an updated version Making Sense of the Census in 2005.
Cheers
Guy

[stanmapstone]

When did Edward Higgs write that, though?

It does not matter when he wrote it that was the official procedure upto the 1901 census. Of course there were no enumerator's books after that census.

Stan

[ScouseBoy]

As the Census usually takes place every ten years, Enumerators are normally specially recruited for a certain period around the date of the Census Day.

They are paid a fee  for the work.  They have to sign a confidentiality declaration.
Civil servants and Local Government Officers often volunteer for Enumerator jobs.