Lost someone in the censuses? Never say die!

Here's a little object lesson for those who despair that they
cannot find an ancestor in the census returns, taken from an example
in a current project of mine. Moral - never give up, because you will
usually find they are there somewhere, either lurking in a
mistranscription, somewhere you never expected them to be, or even in
a completely different name.

mvernonconnolly...

I had exactly the same experience only yesterday! A woman whose birth
and marriage certificates both call her Eliza Russell, daughter of
James Alexander R., turned up in the intervening censuses as Eliza
Humphreys, dau. of Edward H.- her mother was cohabiting with the
latter, and it was probably simpler and more discreet to give the same
name for all. I doubt I would ever have found her without having her
address from the marriage cert.; neatly, Edward Humphreys was one of
the witnesses.
-Matthew

William BRUDENELL's birth was registered in the December quarter of
1867 at Oundle, Northamptonshire. He is completely missing from the
censuses of 1871 and 1881, but suddenly turns up at Hammersmith in
London in 1891 as a lodger and again in 1901, by which time he is
married, aged 33. In 1891 and 1901 he is shown as William Brudenell,
born at Warmington, Northants. So where was he in 1871 and '81?

I spent ages looking for him until I obtained William's marriage
certificate to Elizabeth Goldsmith in 1900 and this revealed his
father was Job Brudenell, a carpenter. William's parents, Job
Brudenell and Elizabeth Coulson, were married in the December
quarter of 1867 at Oundle, the same quarter as William's birth was
registered. I can only assume William was born shortly before the
marriage (I await his birth certificate) because I eventually found
him in 1871 as William B COULSON, aged 3. Even if he was born before
his parents were married, by the time the 1871 census came along they
had been married some three years and, in any case, William was
registered as Brudenell. So why does he appear in 1871 in his
mother's maiden name? I have no idea, but he does.

But it gets worse...Job Brudenell died in 1874 and his widow
Elizabeth remarried in 1875 to a John Goodley, also at Oundle. By the
1881 census they had moved to Egham in Surrey, where 13-year-old
William now appears as William GOODLY! It is not until 1891 when
William Brudenell finally appears in a census under his original
birth name by which time he is in his early 20s.

You see, persistence pays off and you can get there in the end.

Edgar Iredale...

8><--------------

I was looking for Thomas Ray born Sunderland 1818 in the 1851 census but
couldn't find him. I was expecting him to be at Hartlepool. So I
entered only "Thomas 1818 Hartlepool" into the appropriate fields in
Ancestry and discovered him as Thomas _Miars_ born _Lunderland_.

Then I couldn't find the same man in 1871 until I used a similar
technique and found him as Thomas Kray.

In both cases the census sheet isn't clear so I don't think Ancestry can
be blamed too much.

It may mean that there is a doubt about the spelling of his name. Maybe
he isn't the Thomas Ray I thought he was but a Thomas Wray who was also
born Sunderland.

Nicki...

Too right!
My Great Grandmother Christilina Bell nee Blank has been driving me mad....
I found her marriage reference where she is referred to as Christilina
Couldn't find her in any census as Christilina, but eventually...
she turned up in 1871 as Liner Bell rg10/4120//p22
in 1881 as Lene Bell rg11/4109//p15
in 1891 as Christie L Bell rg12/3333/23/p11

Then there's the Brazenalls one of whom eventually turned up as Byenall and
as for...
No I'll have to stop it's winding me up and I plan to have no more hiccups
like this (for today anyway).

By the way I have found your newbie guide very useful Roy - thanks.

Tids...

Same problem here......searching for a Richard Bisby....

1841 Bisty
1851 Brisby
1861 Bisbey

Got there in the end.

Roy Stockdill

"There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about,
and that is not being talked about."

Oscar Wilde