1871 census..wrong information????

[jue]

hello all,does anybody think that it is possible for the wrong age to be listed on the census??
my problem..
1881 census;thomas p brough age 82 living watvile st handsworth staffs(correct)
1871 census;thomas p brough age 24 living watville st,
no mention of thomas p brough the elder on the 1871
no mention of thomas p brough the younger on the 1881
this makes me think that the age has been listed incorrectly,as on the 1871 thomas is listed as living with his wife elizabeth age 21,who should be elizabeth aged 70.
does this make any sense to anybody???

[earley-bird]

I have found something similar myself. Its important to remember that  the census night is just a single night in 10 years and  either party could be visiting relatives, abroad, in hospital, prison, or saying with friends locally etc all sorts of possibilities .

It was very common for the first born to be named after the parents both male and female which causes some  confusion especially if a baby dies and a new child is given the same name between census dates ?! then you have a child that has apparently not aged 10 years

[jue]

hi,i can understand what you say,but i think i smell a rat here,as thomas pearce the younger is living in the same street,with the right wife as thomas the elder( on the later census)elizabeth the wife died beteen the 2 census.
yet,the ages are clearly marked 21 and 24.
on the 1871 thomas lists his profession as gentleman(rather pompos),i am wondering if the ages were wrong and the two thomas's are one and the same,thomas would have been retired and may have called hisself a (retired )gentleman!!!! maybe,?best wishes julie

[earley-bird]

yes thats a possibility. Also we should remember that a lot of people would (like now) be suspicious of the census and lie through their teeth. Often parents would give details of children that were not present at the address on the census night in the mistaken belief they would be losing out in some way . Most folk were poorly educated and ill-informed in that period.

I think the term Gentleman wasn't necessarily just  a social statement  it used to mean the same as `of independant means' ie retired , out of work or supported by family, student etc

[Alice.P]

The wrong age is certainly possible ages are often wrong, for upto 5 years & I recently found someone as 999 which quite possibly could be wrong.

Thomas & Elizabeth were both popular names, as someone else said names were often reused more than once in the case of a child dieing etc & can often be the key that you are on the right track.

Looking at entries for earlier census, should solve this. 

[jue]

hello,what i cant understand on this one is that,
thomas pearce brough is listed on the 1881(age 82)which is correct,but i cannot find him on the 1871,only thomas pearce brough(age 24).
both listed as living on watville st.
if i could find thomas pearce brough age 72,on the 1871,i would know for definate,that we have 2 thomas pearce brough's,but not being able to find him,i am unconvinced that they are not one and the same,and there has been an error with the age. 

[Shanko]

Jue

There is another Thomas Borough on the 1871 his age 73, although his wifes name is Mary but in census some times people used all names or one or the other. Plus surely the person taking the census details couldnt be so 'blind' and could see a 72 year old is not someone of 21 years of age

Alice P, the 999 is when whoever is transcribing the piece cannot read the age OR no age has been written.

hope this helps

Shanko
 

[earley-bird]

I  see what you are saying Jue but why are you so certain that your family would  all be living at the same address 10 years apart ?
Could the elder Brough be an uncle or Father and simply not at the house on the night of the census ?
Have you done a nationwide check on Thomas Pearce Brough aged 72 ish  in 1871 ? possibly try entering differant variants of the name and the same for 1891 with  someone of the same name aged 34 ish ?

Also try searching with no middle name or searchimng for Pearce Brough as names were often reversed on census and transcribed into the ledgers the wrong way round. One of my forbears was listed as Henry James Whitchurch  Henry Whitchurch and James henry Whitchurch.!
best of luck

[jue]

yes,i have searched for him on the 1871,and if he is there i cannot spot him,shanko found a thomas brough age 73,but this is not the same one , as thomas pearce brough the elder was born birmingham,what makes it stranger is,is next door to thomas pearce brough (age 24 on the 1871),is a family of pearce's living in brough's building's!!
the mystery seems to deepen.