Genealogy Chat

lol Sylvia.

Before census records made it onto computers (apart from the 1881 census on disk) I spent ages looking for a family on the 1841 census who I knew were living in a particular street before and after the census (because of baptism records).

The street was very long, the census records were split into many fragments across numerous microfilms and it was almost impossible to read the census records because the ink had seeped through from the other side of the page.

I spent ages trawling through the whole street very slowly, once, twice, three times, four times over a period of time.

I was beginning to believe an alien spaceship had whizzed them off lol...until i visted chester record office and found them in Chester staying with their parents.... :)

The census records online have made things easier but I've still got the odd UFO (Unidentified Family Online)

One of my ancestors I knew died a year later in 1902 but can I find her on the census?

As for my nan's grandparents and great grandparents, they must be still alive or visiting another planet somewhere. Unfortunately they're from one of my branches that have very common names. (I've got quite a collection of common branches - all very short) ;)

Sorry to be a pedant Sylvia but I'm afraid that on this occasion you are wrong (A very rare occurrence indeed).

The Registration of Births and Deaths Act 1874 Chapter 88 clearly stated that the responsibility for the registration of a birth fell to a group of individuals, specifically including the child's Father. An extract may be seen below:

1) Information concerning birth to be given to registrar within forty-two days

"In the case of every child born alive after the commencement of this Act, it shall be the duty of the father and mother of the child, and in default of the father and mother, of the occupier of the house in which to his knowledge the child is born, and of each person present at the birth, and of the person having charge of the child, to give to the registrar, within forty-two days next after such birth, information of the particulars required to be registered concerning such birth, and in the presence of the registrar to sign the register."

The punishment at the time for not registering the birth in accordance with the act was set as a fine of two pounds.

The only exclusion of the responsibility of the father of a child to be liable to register the birth was if the child was born illegitimately. See extract below:

7) Saving for father of illegitimate child

"In the case of an illegitimate child no person shall, as father of such child, be required to give information under this Act concerning the birth of such child, and the registrar shall not enter in the register the name of any person as father of such child, unless at the joint request of the mother and of the person acknowledging himself to be the father of such child, and such person shall in such case sign the register, together with the mother."

Jonesey


I did not know that!


I've always believed the onus was put on the mother!


Thank you :-D




sylvia

Hi Jonsey
thanks for the tip.
I have just about given up on my g/g grandmother Bestsey Ware Manley (Nee Eversfield). born 1826 in Gravesend, Kent.. i have her in the 1851 census and the 1901 census (the latter in the almshouse) but nothing in between. she was estranged / divorced from her husband in 1851. I have tried various combinations in the census, but hadn't considered the pronounciation issues.
off I go to try
vanessa

yeah!!!!!!... I found my g/g grandmother - as I said before, her name was BETSEY WARE MANLEY. i found her in the 1861 census using "shpae of the name " tips and she is enumerated as BETEY H MOLLEY....
I think I have her in the 1871 census, too as BETSEY MORLEY, but her occupation has changed from a music teacher to a needlewoman.

So exciting to be really sure of her in 1861, at least.

nudge :-)

:-)

Nudges :-)

Did parents sometimes purposefully not register their offspring in a census?