Dead children listed as living ? 1841Co.Durham

[fiddlerslass]

I have a family which has proved very hard to find , as the surname varies in BMD as Triffitt, Triffith, Trufoot, Trewhitt and variants thereof.

James Triffith married Mary Ann Stout (b. 1806), in1825 Houghton le Spring and had issue:

Jane Treffet b.1826 Colliery Row, Dur married Thomas Barrass.
John Wylam Triffit b. 1828 Middle Rainton DIED 1831
George Triffit b. 1831 Middle Rainton DIED 1833 as George Trewhitt
Elizabeth Trewhitt b.1835 Middle Rainton marries Thos Swaddle
James Triffit/Trewhitt
 b.1837 Middle Rainton,  died sept q 1841 so should be on 1841 census.Of "Wingate Grange" in 1841according to burial index on" Durham Records Online "

James senior died 1838.

So, in 1841, living at Wingate Dur,   I have found the following family, indexed as Tubbett, all born in Co Durham, which is correct.

Mary Tubbett 34 
Jane     "          15
John.    ".          13
George. ".         10
Elizabeth"        6
James        ".   4

Piece 313, book
15  folio 4 page 3

I would be interested to hear what you think. There do not seem to be any other people with the surname Tubbett in Durham before or after this. I can see that Triffitt could perhaps be mistranscribed into the enumeration books. I do not think Mary Ann was very literate, as at her 1825 wedding she made her mark. It seems a bit of a coincidence that these people are in Wingate and the ages are exactly right.

[Milliepede]

It seems unlikely that deceased children would be included on census but stranger things have happened   

[BumbleB]

If Mary was illiterate, then someone else, probably the Enumerator, completed the form.  AND perhaps Mary misunderstood the questions and gave the names and ages of all her children.    Unfortunately we will never know the true answer.

I found this site interesting:  https://www.familytreeresources.com/1841-census.html

[fiddlerslass]

People did get confused.I have seen names of deceased children listed and crossed out on the 1911 in a few cases. My gut feeling is  I have the right people.

[brigidmac]

Isn't it one of those cases where I baby dies family name another 1 the same

[Palladium]

I have examples where dead children have been named on the census form then crossed out - and where a child has died and those that came after given the same name - three times in one case!

[fiddlerslass]

Don't think these were replacement children as there are no corresponding additional baptisms.