The quality of Enumeration c1871

[AlanC]

If the Enumerators were not so good at spelling, it might explain a lot of transcription errors.

John Hughes.jpg

[kylejustin]

looks like 'john hughes' to me, so what was it transcribed as? or who is it supposed to be?

[Gwyn in Kent]

Looks like John Hughes was 'a labrer'.

[AlanC]

Perhaps the attachment is shown very well? It's the spelling of 'labrer' that surprised me.

[Gwyn in Kent]

Alan, ..I thought that's what you meant.

At least the man had a name.
I remember 'walking' myself round a village in an early census, hoping to find missing family mistranscibed. A farm labourer was listed just by his job, no origins, no name, not even a first name.
Did nobody think to ask him?

[Olde Crone Holden]

Huh. You think you have it hard? I was looking for my elusive Jane Holden and I found one - Jane Holden age UNKNOWN. What do you mean, unknown? Was Jane a baby, a youngish looking woman or an ancient hag? Couldn't they have made some sort of guess?

OC

[Jill on the A272]

Transcribing Brighton 1841 recently within a few addresses I have found an Upoleress (called Marra Hards), an Apolstress and someone who does Upholstery who probably all worked at the same place. I'm happy to forgive the enumerator though as he sometimes added "widow" or "spinster" to the occupations which was crossed out by the clerk who had to process the forms but it still legible.

[Olde Crone Holden]

I doubt if anyone will ever beat my Scottish relative whose occupation was described by Ancestry as a

Samartive Beguine Bleaner.

OC

[JudithM]

I've always wanted to be a bleaner, problem is that there's a world shortage of samartive beguines, though I believe the common beguine is more plentiful.

[Elwyn]

From the Times 5th April 1881.
"A London Clergyman" writes :- " In order to assist my people, I offered to fill in their papers. I was most agreeably surprised at the very large number which they produced accurately filled up. It appears that the last 10 years of school work has wrought a great change for the better, some member in each family could in most cases put in the required particulars. The leading articles in The Times and other papers have wiped away much of the prejudice which existed during the past 40 years to the object of these returns. My testimony to-day is that they were cheerfully, promptly, and carefully returned, and that the enumerators will have far less difficulty than in past years. The instructions were so simple and so well received that this census bids fair to be the most accurate and extensive of any yet made in Great Britain."

However if the householder could not fill in the schedule, perhaps because he or she was illiterate, the enumerator was to fill it in for them by asking the relevant questions on the doorstep. How many schedules had to be completed in this manner varied from district to district. In 1871 enumerators were asked to record the number of schedules they filled in themselves. In parts of Manchester 25 per cent had to be completed in this manner; in Colyton in Devon the proportion was 7 per cent; and in Christ Church, Spitalfields, the proportion was 15 per cent. In some Welsh-speaking parishes in Anglesey, however, the majority were filled in by the enumerators

[margaretmarch]

From the Times 5th April 1881.
"A London Clergyman" writes :- " In order to assist my people, I offered to fill in their papers. I was most agreeably surprised at the very large number which they produced accurately filled up. It appears that the last 10 years of school work has wrought a great change for the better, some member in each family could in most cases put in the required particulars. The leading articles in The Times and other papers have wiped away much of the prejudice which existed during the past 40 years to the object of these returns. My testimony to-day is that they were cheerfully, promptly, and carefully returned, and that the enumerators will have far less difficulty than in past years. The instructions were so simple and so well received that this census bids fair to be the most accurate and extensive of any yet made in Great Britain."

However if the householder could not fill in the schedule, perhaps because he or she was illiterate, the enumerator was to fill it in for them by asking the relevant questions on the doorstep. How many schedules had to be completed in this manner varied from district to district. In 1871 enumerators were asked to record the number of schedules they filled in themselves. In parts of Manchester 25 per cent had to be completed in this manner; in Colyton in Devon the proportion was 7 per cent; and in Christ Church, Spitalfields, the proportion was 15 per cent. In some Welsh-speaking parishes in Anglesey, however, the majority were filled in by the enumerators

Coming from Manchester I think the high percentage there is more likely to be sheer 'cussedness' on the part of the population on the basis that if the government wanted this information let them come and get it themselves!!

Margaret

[margaretmarch]

I doubt if anyone will ever beat my Scottish relative whose occupation was described by Ancestry as a

Samartive Beguine Bleaner.

OC

ROFL - Well it was a really hard job - they must have earned a packet though as it was a very skilled occupation and required many years of training and dedication to achieve the right standard.

Margaret