Can't find a family in 1901 Census despite knowing their address.

[Leon47]

This is very odd.

I've found a family in the 1911 Census, so I'm looking for them in the 1901 Census. I'm having no success, although the lennonwwyle street directory confirms the husband lives in 7 Killarney Street Belfast, occupation Painter, in 1901. Can anyone help?

Here are the details from the 1911 Census taken at 212 Upper Meadow Street Belfast:

Head of house: John Megowan Wilson, age 59, House Painter
Wife: Dorothea Wilson, age 54
Daughter: Isabella Megowan Wilson, age 21

If I know he lives in 7 Killarney Street in 1901, why can't I find him or any of the above household in the 1901 Census?

Thanks.

[cwatterson]

Hi Leon,

Sometimes it works better dropping "what we know". I searched for Dorothea in 1901 in Antrim as it's not the most common name, and found the family.

They aren't living at 7 Killarney St. (at the time of the census that year) but rather Dagmar St and the family name recorded as McWilson (hindering your search).

Link here to John McGowan Wilson on the new census site.

Entirely possible for the family to have been at 7 Killarney St. either side of the actual census date.

[aghadowey]

Link for 1911 census-
https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Dock_Ward/Upper_Meadow_Street/137847/ (old link) or
https://nationalarchives.ie/collections/search-the-census/census-record/?census_year=1911&surname__icontains=wilson&firstname__icontains=dorothea&id=527285 (new link)

Don't see any Wilson in that street in 1901-
https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Dock_Ward/Upper_Meadow_Street/

[Leon47]

Amazing, thanks for that cwatterson.

I've come across many odd transcription oddities but I would never have imagined John M Wilson being wrongly translated as John McWilson. I was looking for a Wilson all along.

Even if I had decided to search for only Dorothea, I probably would have missed the entry you found because I was probably fixated on Killarney Street.

Of course, as you say, the Killarney street entry could simply be a leftover from when they lived there earlier and the directory hadn't been updated promptly.

Thanks again - another bit of the jigsaw added.

[aghadowey]

Directories usually were published about a year before the date on them. If you want to search further to narrow down dates of residence, PRONI had Valuation Revision Books online.

[Leon47]

Link for 1911 census-
https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Dock_Ward/Upper_Meadow_Street/137847/ (old link) or
https://nationalarchives.ie/collections/search-the-census/census-record/?census_year=1911&surname__icontains=wilson&firstname__icontains=dorothea&id=527285 (new link)

Don't see any Wilson in that street in 1901-
https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Dock_Ward/Upper_Meadow_Street/

Thank you. I have that info for for 1911. Now cwatterson has found the 1901 info.

[Leon47]

Directories usually were published about a year before the date on them. If you want to search further to narrow down dates of residence, PRONI had Valuation Revision Books online.

Thanks. I've never come across Valuation Revision Books. I might have a look sometime.

[aghadowey]

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/information-and-services/search-archives-online/valuation-revision-books

[Kiltaglassan]

If I know he lives in 7 Killarney Street in 1901...

He was living in 7 Killarney Street in 1890.
Daughter Isabella Magowan Wilson born there on 3 February 1890.   MMN Thompson
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/birth_returns/births_1890/02445/1909321.pdf