Completed 1841/51/61 census lookup Zenobia Playfair St. Pancras

[lanarman]

Would appreciate if someone has access to original census pages for Zenobia Playfair, single, governess who lived in St. Pancras, London and born at St. James, Middlesex. She died in 1866 and I specifically would like to know if she is listed as a blind person (if that is revealed in the census). Thank you.

[hugatree]

Hi

On the 1861 census there is no entry in the disability column.  She is living at 25 Mornington Place indexed as Lenobia Playfair born c1795.

The 1841 census has her indexed as 'Zewsbra'.  Governess living West End Cottage, Martham, Norfolk.  There is no disability column on th 1841 census.  there is a column for not born in England, which is ticked.

[Dazey999]

Hi there

1861
RG9; Piece: 95; Folio: 118; Page: 26
25 Mornington Place, St Pancras

William Davies - 43 - Clicker Journeyman - b. Swansea
Elizabeth Davies - 38 - b. St Luke's, Middx
Joseph W Dipper - son - 17 - Auctioneer's Clerk - b. St Pancras
Zenobia Playfair - lodger - 66- Annuities - b. St James, Middx

No mention of her being disabled in any way

Dazey

[JenB]

1851 census

HO 107 / 1493 / 940 / 62

16, Park Street, St Pancras.

Sophia Parker, head, U, 56, London
Edward Ashbold, Lodger, U, 50, Surveyor, do
Martha Parker, servant, U, 17, House Servant, do
Zenobia Playfair, servant, U, 55, Resident Governess, do

There is no entry against Zenobia's name in the 'Blind, Deaf or Dumb' column.

[lanarman]

Thanks to all of you for the information. Zenobia Playfair's father, William Playfair, died in 1823 and his obituary referred to 2 succeeding daughters- one of whom was blind. Zenobia's sister Elizabeth was my 3x Great Grandmother and she was not referred to as "blind" in the 1851 Canadian census, so I am still at a loss with this. Probably Elizabeth was blind or had poor eye site as Governess Zenobia would need good vision to watch over a multitude of children. So thats my theory for now and we will put this one to rest. Thanks again.

[drbell]

The blind daughter was Elizabeth. There is an advertisement in The Times for 25 July 1815. There it is stated that Elizabeth Playfair was one of 12 children (6 boys and 6 girls) elected to be a pupil at the School for the Indigent Blind in St. George's Fields, Surrey. The 12 children were chosen (elected by ballot) from a list of 45 children.

[lanarman]

Thank you drbell!   

Definitive proof that it was Elizabeth that was blind. She was my 3rd Great Grandmother. But she was 33 years old in 1815 and not a child by any means. 

[lanarman]

May I ask what the names of the other 11 pupils were? Was one a Bingley? Is it possible to PM me a scan of the article? Thank you.

[drbell]

I am having trouble inserting the clipping from The Times from 25 July 1815. Here are the names of the selected pupils: (1) Boys: Simon Smith, Samuel Pipe, William Branch, John Hayner, James Fletcher and Samuel Grover. (2) Girls: Ann Tubb, Mary Townsend, Elizabeth Fley, Hannah Underwood, Mary Very and Elizabeth Playfair. There is a description of the school at https://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol25/pp65-71. It gives a physical description (and picture) of the school building. It is also stated that "The school continued to train blind pupils in the traditional trades of mat making, basket making, knitting, etc."

I also checked the Canadian censuses at https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/search/Pages/ancestors-search.aspx. There is no Bingley in the 1841 census. In the 1851 census, there is a Mrs E Bingley, aged 60 and Episcopalian in religion  enumerated seemingly on her own. In the 1861 census Elizabeth Bingley, Church of England in religion, widowed, blind and born in England was listed as age 78. She appears in this census as part of the Playfair household. I also checked the Ontario cemeteries index. There is an Elizabeth Bingley buried in Lanark Village cemetery, close to Playfairville, Onario. Further information might be obtained from the Ottawa branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. The reference number for the grave is OT-86-26.