Author Topic: Widow's children 1911  (Read 1558 times)

Offline antonymark

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Widow's children 1911
« on: Friday 23 August 19 00:22 BST (UK) »
Hi All,

I've been looking at my great grandmother on the 1911 Census. She has by this time been widowed and is working as a general servant in a household. Her children are not with her.

What seems odd is that the columns detailing the number of children born and still living have been completed against her name. As I understood it these details were to be completed for the "present marriage" only and shouldn't have been filled in for a widow. The head of the house was a Buyer for a Paper Merchants so I imagine would have been no stranger to form filling.

I have previously found confused householders entering details of their deceased children but in both those instances the entries have been crossed out - I assumed by the enumerator on collection and checking the form.

Has anyone come across something similar?

Best regards, Tony.

Hoare, Milsted, Peacock, Herbert, Crampin, McIlroy, Holden, Hilton, Fawcett.

Offline Craclyn

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Re: Widow's children 1911
« Reply #1 on: Friday 23 August 19 00:27 BST (UK) »
Just be thankful that you are getting more information than was strictly required  :)
Crackett, Cracket, Webb, Turner, Henderson, Murray, Carr, Stavers, Thornton, Oliver, Davis, Hall, Anderson, Atknin, Austin, Bainbridge, Beach, Bullman, Charlton, Chator, Corbett, Corsall, Coxon, Davis, Dinnin, Dow, Farside, Fitton, Garden, Geddes, Gowans, Harmsworth, Hedderweek, Heron, Hedley, Hunter, Ironside, Jameson, Johnson, Laidler, Leck, Mason, Miller, Milne, Nesbitt, Newton, Parkinson, Piery, Prudow, Reay, Reed, Read, Reid, Robinson, Ruddiman, Smith, Tait, Thompson, Watson, Wilson, Youn

Offline antonymark

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Re: Widow's children 1911
« Reply #2 on: Friday 23 August 19 00:33 BST (UK) »
Just be thankful that you are getting more information than was strictly required  :)


I am!  ;D Led straight to the 3 children's births and her first marriage.
Hoare, Milsted, Peacock, Herbert, Crampin, McIlroy, Holden, Hilton, Fawcett.

Offline avm228

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Re: Widow's children 1911
« Reply #3 on: Friday 23 August 19 00:58 BST (UK) »
This is reasonably common (and always welcome) :)

A variant on the theme is the poignant (erroneous) inclusion in the household of the names of deceased children together with their ages at death, perhaps prompted by the questions about how many children born/living/dead.
Ayr: Barnes, Wylie
Caithness: MacGregor
Essex: Eldred (Pebmarsh)
Gloucs: Timbrell (Winchcomb)
Hants: Stares (Wickham)
Lincs: Maw, Jackson (Epworth, Belton)
London: Pierce
Suffolk: Markham (Framlingham)
Surrey: Gosling (Richmond)
Wilts: Matthews, Tarrant (Calne, Preshute)
Worcs: Milward (Redditch)
Yorks: Beaumont, Crook, Moore, Styring (Huddersfield); Middleton (Church Fenton); Exley, Gelder (High Hoyland); Barnes, Birchinall (Sheffield); Kenyon, Wood (Cumberworth/Denby Dale)


Offline antonymark

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Re: Widow's children 1911
« Reply #4 on: Friday 23 August 19 01:31 BST (UK) »
I had wondered if Great Nan had been keen for her status as a mother to be recorded even though she was unable to have her children with her. Or would this have been a bit 'forward' for someone in her position?
Hoare, Milsted, Peacock, Herbert, Crampin, McIlroy, Holden, Hilton, Fawcett.

Offline Girl Guide

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Re: Widow's children 1911
« Reply #5 on: Sunday 22 September 19 10:00 BST (UK) »
Maybe the head of household asked if she wanted that information included.  It would have been her only chance at having that information on record.

Not sure what the 1921 census requirements were with regard to marriage/widowhood and children.
Ashford: Somerset, London
England: Devon, London, New Zealand
Holdway: Wiltshire
Hooper: Bristol, Somerset
Knowling: Devon, London
Southcott: Devon, China
Strong: Wiltshire
Watson: Cambridgeshire
White: Bristol
Windo - Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire

Offline antonymark

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Re: Widow's children 1911
« Reply #6 on: Sunday 22 September 19 13:18 BST (UK) »
Hi Girl Guide,

Thanks for your thoughts.

While Nan is in service the children have been split up. Youngest daughter aged 4 is in Kent with Nan's married sister. Son aged 9 is with other 'boarders from Dr Barnado homes' boarded with a widowed lady in High Wycombe. Eldest daughter aged 11 is at the Stockwell Orphanage described heartbreakingly as an 'inmate'.

I know they were reunited when Nan remarried in 1914 only for her to be widowed for the second time in 1916 only a few months after my Grandmother's birth.

Looks like the 1921 has the same questions as the 1911 plus a lot more.

Tony.
Hoare, Milsted, Peacock, Herbert, Crampin, McIlroy, Holden, Hilton, Fawcett.

Offline aghadowey

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Re: Widow's children 1911
« Reply #7 on: Sunday 22 September 19 18:21 BST (UK) »
1911 was the first census, I think, to ask married woman how many years married, how many children born & how many living and it seems to have caused a bit of confusion for many of those filling out the form.
Away sorting out DNA matches... I may be gone for some time many years!