Entered twice in the same census.

[PhilGH]

The census of 1891 has two records for what appears to be the same person, ie my 2*great-uncle Joseph Hazlehurst (1847-1899).

In one he is recorded as living in Kings Norton, with his wife, Jane and three children. In the other he is recorded as living in Alvechurch about 5 miles away. All details are the same apart from one having  Jane’s age as 43 and the other as 45.

How were censuses carried out at that time? Were they not supposed to record who was living at a particular place on a specified date as they do now?

[rosie99]

He would probably had the form to fill in before hand so did it for one address then again for a new address.  I see he was a police officer are police records available for him as that may show when he moved.

[artifis]

A while ago I was researching for my cousin the life of a lady we remember as kids when she was nearly 100 years old when she died in 1953 - my cousin had indirectly inherited a lot of this lady's jewelry and porcelain collection. I discovered that in the 1861 census her father was employed as butler in the household of one Thomas Reeve Thornton, Assistant Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff of Northamptonshire plus Justice of the Peace who lived at Brockhall House in Brockhall.  The Census enumerator - possibly Thornton himself - listed all of Thornton's employees as being at Brockhall House but the lady's father was additionally separately recorded in his own house with his family.  I guess that if Thornton was the enumerator he wanted to make himself seem more important but if it was someone else, possibly an employee , who gave the information to the enumerator they were highly unlikely to question Thornton's information.  I found that some other employees who had families were similarly recorded in Thornton's household as well their own cottages.
Interestingly the lady and her siblings, all female, were all highly educated, possibly with Thornton's children and the village Rector appears to have been Thornton's children's tutor. They were certainly more highly educated than you would expect for children of their status in society.

[Sloe Gin]

As Rosie said, the household forms were distributed some days in advance.  They were supposed to record the people at the address on census night, but often they would have been filled in ahead of time. 

This would occasionally result in some persons being included who were expected to be in the house on census night, but were elsewhere.  In that case they might also be - correctly - recorded at the address where they actually were.

So it's not all that uncommon to find people entered twice.  When you expect human beings to follow instructions you can also expect some of them to do it wrong!   

[coombs]

One of my ancestors is recorded twice in the 1861 census in Co Durham.

[PurdeyB]

I've come across this too, also in the 1861 census. A mariner ancestor was shown at home in Tynemouth but also on board ship in East Anglia.

[Kiltpin]

I have mentioned before that I was counted three times in the 1981 census. 

Once by the general admin office as I was living in barracks at RAF Honington, 

Second by a friend, who I spent most of off duty time with. We were building an exhibition model railway,

Third by my girlfriend. My friend was summoned away to do driving duties at Sandringham House, so I spent the night elsewhere. 

Regards 

Chas

[Nova67]

My great-great-great-uncle is recorded twice in 1871.  He was very recently widowed.  Recorded with parents and at his own residence. Both within the same street in Bristol.

[rayard]

I wish some of "mine" had been recorded once never mind twice!!  I'm jealous!
rayard.