Illegitimate children & the 1911 census

[Jomot]

Despite my family being peppered with illegitimacy I've found that most have been honest in the 1911 census and noted the correct number of births, even where those children were brought up by someone else.

I've now come across my first where only the legitimate children have been noted, even though at the time of the census this particular ancestor was a widow so didn't particularly need to hide anything from her husband.

This got me wondering about what other people had found - were most of your ancestors honest, or did they mainly lie?

[Treetotal]

I have two census returns where as a 1 year old....then 11 year old...a little girl is listed as the Daughter of the head of household...the next census at age 21 she is listed as their Granddaughter.
Carol

[nashua]

Not a case of illegitimacy, but my grandmother and her brother were both listed as living with their birth parents in 1911, when both had been taken into care 9 years previous. My grandmother was also listed with her foster parents and her brother was in Canada, so not an accurate census, but I guess at least it shows they were not forgotten.

[cazza59]

I have the same as Carol, but not in 1911.  Two children listed as son/daughter, then changed to grandchildren, but then both are impossible to find in 1901. 

Caz

[Milliepede]

I could be wrong but in 1911 doesn't it ask you to list "children born to the marriage" so any offshoots (as it were!) of either parent shouldn't be included anyway? 

Will check that out next time I look at a 1911 

[Jomot]

I could be wrong but in 1911 doesn't it ask you to list "children born to the marriage" so any offshoots (as it were!) of either parent shouldn't be included anyway? 

Will check that out next time I look at a 1911 

Oh yes, Ive just checked and you're right.  Potentially puts a whole new slant to some of the 'truthful' answers then....

[Treetotal]

That's probably why the truth had to be told because of the questions asked in 1911...or just that the young woman had been told who her real Mother was.
Carol

[suey]

I have a lady whose first child was just born in wedlock, sadly he died.  By the time 1911 rolls around she claims to have had 10 children all living...poor little Charlie seems to have been forgotton about 

Another family list their son and claim he has "been widowed for 2 years" (they actually wrote that down under occupation)  He is in fact still very much married and living around the corner from his parents in a lodging house   His wife whom he married two years earlier is "single" and living with her parents. 

Another couple claim to have been married for 11 years with a son aged 10, I've never traced the marriage and I cannot pin down a birth registration for this child.  The couple are both  conveniently missing in 1901; they did however have a long and happy life together 

Suey

Those are the only ones so far, for the most part, as far as I can tell, the rest told the truth

[iolaus]

I have a pair like that - according to the 1911 census they married in 1955, and by numbers of children seem to include her eldest (who I think was registered without a father under her maiden name - unfortunately that maiden name is Jones so I can't be 100% I have the right one but 99% sure) - no details of marriage registered the other children all registered with them as married.  They died aged 98 and 100 still together