Help reading this census detail please - COMPLETED

[JenB]

Is wife or widow, husb. sailor is missing   

[genjen]

That's what I wondered - is the "Pr" bit an abbreviated "Probably"?

I can't make it say Missing in my eyes but it does seem to end with "ing" so you could well be right.

[genjen]

Is it Missing spelled Miffing as in old style "s"?

[JenB]

I can't make it say Missing in my eyes but it does seem to end with "ing" so you could well be right.

I can see a long 's' then an 's' in the middle of the word.

[Tati]

I can see a long 's' then an 's' in the middle of the word.

So can I - all the 'ss' on the page are the same 

[genjen]

Yes, I just found Drefs Maker further down!

[JenB]

Over to Sarah for comments, then 

[caranicks]

Thank you all for your fast and most helpful responses. 

Before posting the question I could only make out
"... widow. Husb. S(or T)ailor/.... "

After your suggestions I believe it says:
".. wife is(or) widow. Husb. Sailor Missing"

The enumerator did his w's in a strange way, and his double s's in the old fashioned way(well it was 1861!)

They lived in Bristol, so a sailor would be a perfectly feasible occupation.

Funny thing is, when I do a search for their son William John Ford on the 1871 census, there is a man of the right age and birthplace, living with his father William - who is a seaman.   Maybe he came back from the sea OK after all....

This lady Ann, and her husband the sailor were my gt-gt-gt-grandparents, so I'd love to know his name - but it'll probably be one of those things I'll never be able to trace.   Still, I've got a few marriage leads from freebmd to follow up, so I'll keep investigating!

It's good to know there's people here to help if I get stuck again.

Thanks once again,
Sarah Knight