Changeling? - Census

[littlefacey]

Hello!

So in the far right column on the 1871 i have the word 'Changeling' which according to Google means Fairy!!?

Do you think they meant to say challenging? or was this little boy really a fairy!? 

[avm228]

How odd.  Can you give us a name or the census reference?

[littlefacey]

Of course!


First Name William
Last Name   Stockwell
Birth Year   1823
Age   48
Birth Place   England
Birth Town   Leeds
Birth County Yorkshire
Gender Male
Relationship To Head of Household Head
Occupation   
Archive Reference RG10
Folio   82
Page   13
Piece Number   4563

[JenB]

In 1881 he is classified as ‘Imbecile’.

[JJen]

1891 - Imbecile from childhood.
1901 - Feeble Minded.

JJ

[Rena]

** a child believed to have been exchanged by fairies for the parents' true child 
** an idiot

archaic : imbecile

[stanmapstone]

From the OED
Changeling An extremely stupid or foolish person; an idiot, an imbecile. Now historic.
Probably with reference to the idea that children with undesirable physical or mental characteristics were changelings in sense A. 1a.
A 1a  A child secretly substituted for another in infancy; a child supposedly left by fairies in exchange for one stolen. Often used to refer to a child who is considered undesirable, or who does not resemble his or her family.

Stan

[Finley 1]

How sad - 
xin

[mckha489]

I have a letter written by my mother to her mother in 1963 in which she says she thinks my brother must be a changeling because his behaviour was so different to mine. (Polishes her halo 
So not too archaic a term.