'Visitor'

[Lesley123]

Can anyone tell me what is meant by this term in a census?

[groom]

Hi Lesley

I've always taken it to mean someone who is just visiting for a few days, and who just happened to be there on census night.

Jan

[bearkat]

Someone staying in a house who was not related to the householder and was not paying rent i.e., boarder or lodger

[Lesley123]

That was quick! Thanks both 

[coombs]

Not necessarily a non rellie. I have found rellies of ancestors in a census who were described as a visitor.

[Redroger]

Agree with Coombs, though the instructions may have defined a visitor as a not related person many relations were so shown.

[coombs]

I have a 3 year old who was a visitor in the 1901 census round his auntys place.

[Greensleeves]

Several of my wayward relations dumped their children on the grandparents and these children  were usually referred to as visitors in the census, albeit that some were left as babies and were still living there when they were old enough to go into service.

[Jeuel]

I've always interpreted "visitor" as meaning the person was staying there on census night but didn't live there permanently.  Visitors I've found are very often family members.