Census Enumerator Books

[MajorD]

I'm not strictly a beginner but this feels like a beginner's question ...

Are the scanned images of the earlier censuses of the actual enumerators books?  I had assumed that the enumerator returned the book to the registry office or somewhere similar and these were transcribed onto the larger format schedules but looking around the net it seems that what we're seeing is actually the enumerators' own handwriting.  It's evident that by 1911 the returns were being sent out to the householders to complete, as today, and that these were then transcribed to a continuous schedule.

I'm asking because I had hoped to explain an inconsistency in a branch of my tree with reference to an original transcription error (although given that this would have occurred on the 1841 census and that the scanned images are self-evidently in book form it was always a bit hopeful)!

Thanks

Ian

[Little Nell]

Hi Ian,

The 1911 census that we are currently viewing which only shows one household per schedule are the individual schedules themselves, filled in by the householder.  You can now also view the enumerator's summary book on the same site, at no extra cost, provided that you have already paid to view the individual schecule.

With regards to earlier census, the scanned pages are from the enumerators' summary books, completed by the enumerator from the individual household schedules.  Every household received a schedule and the enumerator collected them on the Monday following the census.  If it had not been completed, then the enumerator was instructed to complete it, having asked for the information from the householder.  The household schedules for these census have been destroyed, so only the enumerators' summary books survive. 

It does mean that there is already the possibility for mistranscription.  If the enumerator could not read the householder's writing, he might get it wrong.  Add the possibility that his writing was poor, faint, scrappy towards the end of a long day, it's no wonder that errors creep in.  He might also mis-hear what is said to him, or put his own interpretation on it if the householder spoke with a strong accent.

Does that answer your question?

Nell

[MajorD]

Precisely thanks.

I'd come across enough examples of things evidently misheard to see that was the case, but the fact that the enumerator also transcribed what was written by those who could helps my case. 

It's a bit complicated but I believe that the surname of what may have been branches of the same family in nearby villages might have been similarly mis-transcribed (evidently the same enumerator from the handwriting)  while unlikely to have been misheard twice.  In truth, the answer may turn out to be easily found in parish records but I'm trying to exhaust online resources before moving on to those.

Thanks again.

Ian

[gmichaelking]

...The 1911 census that we are currently viewing which only shows one household per schedule are the individual schedules themselves, filled in by the householder.  You can now also view the enumerator's summary book on the same site, at no extra cost, provided that you have already paid to view the individual schedule...Nell

Just wanted to give this a 'bump' as I stumbled across this yesterday on FindMyPast.

Helped me to identify that my Grandfather lived 7 doors away from his future Mother-in-law, and 17 doors away from his future Father-in-law in 1911, when he was 9 yrs old (he was closer in age to both, than his future wife).

Bottom right hand corner of FindMyPast 1911 Census image, look for 'Related images'.