Scotland Ward, Liverpool

[ShaunJ]

I see from Lancs BMD that the marriage was "Register Office or Registrar Attended" - was one of them a catholic?

[RobbieJax]

I don't believe so. I see in the Lancashire Records their first daughter Sarah Jane Metcalfe baptized in 1851 in Saint Peter's which was Anglican

[ShaunJ]

Marriage witnesses? Any clues there?

[stanmapstone]

Thanks, all, for your opinions. It is possible that the census-taker made a mistake as he also transposed Robert and Thomas. Robert was the 3yo and Thomas was 1yo.

Is it possible that she told the census-taker that she was born in Scotland and he just assumed the country and transcribed it as such.

They weren't asked the questions.If she was illiterate the schedule was filled in by someone else, collected by the enumerator, who then copied what was on the schedule into his enumerator's book.  It is a common myth that a census enumerator knocked on doors and asked who was present, and then wrote down the details, often miss-hearing, or miss-spelling. When the enumerator collected the schedules all he had to do was to to examine the schedule in order to satisfy himself that it had been correctly and completely filled up.

Stan

[RobbieJax]

Thanks. It was my assumption that the enumerator went knocking on doors. But it doesn't detract from the fact that if they were illiterate, the 'someone else' had to interpret what they said and write it down.

Witnesses were Jean Clark and Mary Fittom (or Fitton). I did try tracing them and didn't get anywhere. I can upload a pdf of the marriage certificate for you to see if it is OK to do that

[ShaunJ]

Mary Fitton was from Scotland too. Previously  Mary Clark, she married John Fitton in 1847. Another "Register Office or Registrar Attended" marriage.

[RobbieJax]

Thanks. Let me take a look at that and see if it leads me anywhere. Appreciate your help

btw, dumb question but why does a "Register Office or Registrar Attended" imply Catholic

[ShaunJ]

Unless it took place in a Church of England church, a Catholic or non-conformist marriage was only legal if a registrar of marriages was present.

[jonw65]

They weren't asked the questions.If she was illiterate the schedule was filled in by someone else, collected by the enumerator, who then copied what was on the schedule into his enumerator's book.  It is a common myth that a census enumerator knocked on doors and asked who was present, and then wrote down the details, often miss-hearing, or miss-spelling. When the enumerator collected the schedules all he had to do was to to examine the schedule in order to satisfy himself that it had been correctly and completely filled up.

Nearly always, perhaps. But, to be fair, it may not have been 100% like that - the instructions to enumerators for 1851 states
"If, on inquiry for the Schedule, it is delivered to him not filled up, he must fill it up himself, asking all necessary questions."

It was my assumption that the enumerator went knocking on doors. But it doesn't detract from the fact that if they were illiterate, the 'someone else' had to interpret what they said and write it down.

They must have knocked at the door to ask for the schedule!
See also the fascinating article re the finding of a box of surviving Shropshire 1841 census schedules
http://www.balh.org.uk/uploads/tlh-downloads/the-local-historian-43-02-may-2013.pdf
(page 96) Did householders complete their own HSs?
Interestingly, of the quarter or so of schedules that were not completed by the head of household, the author estimates that most were filled in by the enumerator.