Order in which census is recorded

[Nick Carver]

I have gone through a number of fiche and on-line records for various censuses and would like to know if the enumerator was required to follow any particular order in which the records are completed. The reason I ask is that one branch of my family used to buy three houses together in a street and I would like to track their records. In many instances, although you would think that the enumerator would go from door to door and record the findings accourdingly, it is apparent that they did not in fact do this. Could it be that the enumerator had to go back to dwellings where nobody was at home on their first visit and consequently such records are very hit and miss? I also thought I might stumble across other relations living close by known ancestors, but unless there is some structure to the records, it will be a tall order.

[PaulineJ]

Of the census pieces I have been through it would appear that they do have a 'route', although it doesn't mean that all of one street will be contiguous. The route could have taken the enumerator down more than one or two side streets before the whole of a street was completed.

Opposing sides of the street could also have been on different pieces.

Pauline

[Chris in 1066Land]

Hi Nick

Yes, the enumerator had a set route to walk - listed at the start of each enumeration piece and it was his responsibility to hand out the forms before census night and then go round and pick them up again after the census.  If no one was in, he had to keep going back till he found someone in, likewise if they were illiterate, he filled the forms in for them.

His boss then copied all the returns on to the schedule that we read today, and the originals were then destroyed.

So, we are reading a copy of a copy, and mistakes do happen - but as to when and where - well, who knowes, but we are finding them all the time

Chris in 1066Land

[Nick Carver]

Thanks for your comments. I think that helps me out now. As you may have gathered, I'm always on the look out for short cuts that might help find other data but it is clear that whilst you may be lucky from time to time, there's no getting  over the need to check the original documents.