Thanks to all for the very helpful replies.
It didn’t occur to me that enumerators filled in the form copying from one filled in by the household. I thought enumerators went door-to-door and got the information verbally.
If I assume the 1901 census is incorrectly transcribed things start to add up. I think my Walter is the boy who died in 1903 (
thanks genicolgan!) , not the one I found in Normanton in 1911. So that’s the 9 living children I think accounted for.
I’ve just found out that Benjamin and Hannah were probably married in Bolton 1878. I’ve found a couple of children that died that may be theirs. I’ll only be able to confirm it with the certificates.
Thanks again everybody. I'm a little less lost now.
