Genealogy Chat

Now that's an idea Sandra! I've tried every combination of Shepphard's known to man, but hadn't considered Heppard's!!!! Off to check again! Thanks.

Have had missing ancestors on all census's but having got some cd's I can see how difficult it can be, having said that some of images have definately been transcribed wrong, but have noticed Ancestry have put note with corrections when I have told them. Julie searing for a Sheppard for a cousin found them under Heppard never know yours could be there! sandie

This is bad news! I am hoping to find my husbands Gt Grandmother Annie Lilian Bickish Shephard in it. She married in 1904 aged 24 and I have not been able to find her at all in the 1881/91/1901 censuses!! All I know is her father was George Shephard, a carpenter! I've gone through millions of spellings and places, but nothing! This will be my last chance to find her on a census (and any info as to her birth whereabouts) as I was told she died a few years later! As for the rest of my rellies, it'd be useful to piece families together with siblings etc, as my Grandad was very confused as to which cousin belonged to which family! He had 15 aunts and uncles just on his father's side!!

What you have to remember with all the census is to try all permutations. The place you are looking for may not be in the county you know & expect it to be in. For instance on the Ancestry 1861 census Portsmouth Harbour is in NORTHAMPTONSHIRE!!!!!!!!! I have told them that Northampton is landlocked but I don't suppose they will change it. Vivienne

If the Government 'HAS' to aallow the pubic access to the 1911 census is there anythign to say how? I mean it could be search it yourself at The National Archives. It is going to take years to get it in a fit state to put on the internet and so far no one seems to have started. I seem to recall it took about 4 years to do the 1901 and then it went abroad. No wonder most of it we can't find or read. I doubt that most of the informaiton on the 2001 census will ever be released. Just the same sort of things we see now. But I remember the questions about places born and religion and what some people filled in! I took a copy and it is filed in my file. Jane

I've just returned to family history after about 18 months and one of the first things I have done is to subscribe to ancestry.co.uk. It has all the England and Wales censuses from 1861 to 1901 inclusive (warts 'n' all!!!). I was never a great fan of Ancestry...partly because it's an American commercial organistion, which seems set to monopolise the genealogy market...but also because the resources they had were biassed towards the American market and the UK resouces tended to be obscure to say the least. I've always bought census CDs, but this has been futile up to now when searching for ancestors who moved around. Lo and behold...I found one of my 2 x gt grandfathers on Ancestry in the 1871 census somewhere I really didn't expect him to be. I've cleared up some confusion about his DOB and found what I hope is his birth record (fingers crossed...I'm waiting for it to arrive!) I also found out the first name of his mother and have ordered what I hope is his parents' marriage certificate...all thanks to Ancestry's search facility! £70pa subscription seems a lot, but I suspect it's a fraction of what I've spent in the past on the 1901 site and buying CDs on the off-chance.

Has anyone heard anything about the Scottish 1911 census - what kind of shape is it in? Is it the same type of thing - written by the occupants? Margaret

Hi Nell I have to agree with out 1861 census is a nightmare, ive spent hours and days searching for rellies with no luck, ive only managed to find 2 families so far. From 1871 - 1901 not had too many problems. I just pray the 1911 for liverpool will be readable as all my rellies live there then. Jules

Hi Helen That is really interesting and I hope that info about the 1911 census is at least a bit exaggerated!!! I'm waiting with baited breath for that one! But I've found the 1891 census by far the worst of the lot! i have more 'missing' rellies on that census than on all the others put together! lol Bev

The plus side to 1911 is that the govt HAVE to make it available, however hard it will be to find anyone - and if you do find it the chances are the entries will have been written by your ancestor him/herself!!! It is sad though, as this census bridges the gap between where I've got up to with censuses/street directories etc. and where my grandparents' memories kick in. nell

Just think what 3001 will be like for the 2001 census, all the pages we had to fill out and it doesn't even have the parish where born only England, I do feel sorry for all the Mary Smith, John Brown not to mention the Thomas & Taylors. We think it bad now, just wait. Oh no we can't we won't be here they surely can't be expected to let everyone see such personal details which I don't think have anything to do with the reason for the census. Irene

Morning all. I no how you fill, you think in this day and age with all the things they can do they would make the Censuses better?. you know that relly gets my back up when you have spent hours looking for someone then when you do think your found them you cant bloodee read or see what it says.regards Joanx

It's so frustrating isn't it Nell? The 1911 census will answer so many questions that I have, but it seems that they may be left unanswered. I did hear someone say that mice have even been nibbling on it! Ho hum....

The June issue of Your Family Tree magazine has a census theme and includes an article on 'Why aren't they on the census?' as well as an article comparing the costs of searching various censuses online. I hadn't realised how much was available, but thinking about the censuses: 1841 written in dark grey on light grey paper, almost impossible to read 1851 - no national, easily available index 1861 - so far I've found more inaccuracies in transcription than I could imagine, virtually all my relatives are wrong - except the ones with the changed surname, haha! 1871 - another mish mash, some of my lots entries are anybody's guess 1881 - easily accessible and FREE on LDS site but harder to get images, but some wierd errors 1891 - best of the lot 1901 - govt. site exorbitant and transcription a joke (except its not funny) BUT IT GETS WORSE. According to YFT mag, the 1911 census is a mess. Its not a collection of enumerator's books, but loose paper with two sides for each household, filled in by individual householders. None of it has been filmed and it has been kept badly and SMELLS!!!! Lots of the sheets are torn, damaged or lost. I think the 1931 was destroyed to prevent the Nazis using it and the 1941 wasn't taken. So whilst genealogy resources are improving all the time, in some senses they aren't!! nell

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