Conflict between SP and Ancestry

[DavidMK]

I have an unusual conflict, and wonder if anyone else has come across a similar situation, or can explain it.I have the 1901 census for my grandmother Margaret Kilgour and 4 of her children on Scotlands people (Glasgow Barony). Ancestry has the same information, plus it has my grandfather John K as well.The information on John is factually correct ,except his age is 5 years younger.and yet I wonder how Ancestry got him when he is not on the original census sheet.The only place where they may have got the info was on the 91 census(although the age and occupation are marginally different) Possible? or likely?

Any ideas?

David

[ninatoo]

Is your grandfather listed on the previous sheet to the one his family is on (as head of household he should be first)? That would be my best guess, and the age difference is probably a mis-transcription. If it were me I would purchase the previous census page.

[SarahND]

Hi David,
I would also have thought that John must have been on the previous page, but here is what Ancestry says:

Margaret is at 47 Salamanca St
ED 66
Household schedule number 77
Line 9

John is line 8 of the same address and household.

On the census image you have from SP, who is on the line above Margaret?

Regards,
Sarah

[DavidMK]

Hi ninatoo and sarah, the family is the second one on the page,so john wouldnt be on the previous page. On the census form Margaret is on line 8, the first family member, although listed as wife,not head. I just noticed that on the age columns, she is shown as both male aged 46 (could be read as 40) and female aged 34.Ancestry has John aged 40, and Margaret aged 34.So it seems clear the census taker botched it up. But how did Ancestry get it right, apart for the age?

David

[SarahND]

HI David,
Very odd indeed. Are you sure there's no "John" penciled in anywhere? Otherwise, it would seem that Ancestry used a different copy of the census when they did their indexing.

Yours puzzled,
Sarah

[DavidMK]

Hi Sarah, the census is very clear, written in bold lettering. Transcribers delight, except for that one age issue.No ghost writing.

David

[LesleyB]

If John is not the the original census page, I can only guess that the error lies with Ancestry.
What are the names and ages of the children with Margaret on the original page?
Is this the entry?
1901 KILGOUR MARGARET F 34 CAMLACHIE GLASGOW/LANARK 644/02 066/02 016

[DavidMK]

Hi Lesley, I think you've got the entry right.
Children are,
William 10
Jack 8
Alex 4
James 1

David.

[LesleyB]

Hi David

I've had a look at the original page on SP and I too can see no sign of John. As you say, it is a reasonably clear page. That is most odd. Ancestry must be having illusiions or something - they have always been fairly creative on the transcriptions front, but this is a new kind of development altogether!! Very odd.

On the census image you have from SP, who is on the line above Margaret?

Previous household - surname Barrie, Thomas & Maggie and 5 kids with the youngest son being the last mentioned: James aged 3, (above him is John aged 5). There is a clear line drawn to indicate end of the Barrie household then Margaret Kilgour, wife, married with two ages; 40 in male column and age 34 in female column....I expect the enumerator was on "automatic pilot" and entered her age in the male column expecting the first person listed to be male - I wonder if she gave her husband's details and the enumerator did not list him given that it looks like he was not there on the night but when writing his copy into the book the enumerator has muddled his own notes. What did John do for a living - why was he not there? (this will not explain how Ancestry appear to be psychic, I'm just interested to know!)

Best wishes
Lesley

[SarahND]

Hi Lesley,
He was a Steel Work Stoker in the 1901 Ancestry transcription and a Steel Work Lab in 1891. I can't believe that anyone at Ancestry bothered to make up a plausible entry for him... there must have been a notation somewhere that they saw and we're not seeing.

All the best,
Sarah