Hello everyone,
I have a bit of a conundrum going on and I am seeking some advice/suggestions as to how to proceed. I use Legacy to record my family history and have a family that shows 11 children in the 1911 census records. It states that 7 are still living and 4 poor mites have died. So far so good, however, I know that this was the father's second marriage and that at least 2 children were born by his first wife. After she passed away he married again and had lots more children.
I know that strictly speaking the 1911 census is supposed to record children born to the existing relationship but I suspect that the person filling out the census recorded both marriage's children. I know that the person who filled out the form was the son of the head of household and I assume that he filled it out because I suspect the father and mother were both illiterate. It is entirely possible that he believed that the children were from his own (2nd wife of the head) mother but I can't prove it.
If the 11 were a combined total, then I have found them all, if not then I am two people short and not many gaps in the timeline in which they could possibly be born.
So here are my questions:
1) Is it safe to assume that stillborn babies would still have a BC and a DC?
2) Is it normal for people to combine this type of family information for the census?
3) Do you think it is safe to assume that the information recorded in the census is indeed of the combined family?
Any thoughts or comments would be most welcome.
Have a blessed day.
Kevin
Sorry Kevin but you have been given inaccurate information.
You are correct the number of children should be the number of children that particular married women has had in her current marriage. It should not include any children her husband has had in a previous marriage, though sometimes this is shown and scored out.
Stillborn babies do not have a Birth Certificate or a death certificate though after 1927 will be registered in the Stillbirth Register.
Stillborns were also registered in the burial register from 1539 but as with all laws concerning Parish Registers the clergy only followed them when it suited them, but all burials of stillborn babies should be entered in burial registers from 1874.
A few people would combine the children of earlier marriages it would really depend on whether they comprhended the instructions, in a similar manner a few may have included stillbirths, some even include children next to a man's entry.
It is not safe to assume anything on any census, most census (except the 1911) are transcripts but even the 1911 census contains errors, some deliberate, some accidental awlays confirm census information with information from other sources.
Cheers
Guy