1861 Census Help Please!

[apanderson]

Despite using every spelling variant I can think of, I can't find the Chissel Family in Leith (or anywhere else in the whole of the UK) on the 1861 Census.

The known details are:

George Penny Chissel, age 28/29, Gunner or Bombardier Royal Artillery, born c1832, East Allington, Kingsbridge, Devon
Ann Chissel (nee Dunn/Don) wife, age 27/28, born c1833, Stirling
George Penny Chissel, age 2, born 19th March 1859, Leith, Midlothian
Helen Chissel, age 3 months, born 13th January 1861, Hillhousefield, Leith, Midlothian

They had another son, John Chissel, also born at Hillhousefield, Leith on 2nd December 1862, so presumably they didn't hop off to somewhere else between the births of Helen in 1861 and John in 1862 ....... or did they?

I have a record of all their children's baptisms which were included in George's Discharge Papers of 1873. This shows that both Helen and John were baptised at North Leith a few weeks after their births and also included in this list is their second (but only surviving) child George, who was born in 1859. (Their first child Jane was born and died in 1858)

George and Ann were married at Stirling 2nd March 1857.

I have every other Census including George's parents back to 1841 in Devon.

EVERY Scottish Chissel(l) Birth, Marriage & Death on S.P. belong to the same family, so they've been relatively easy (albeit expensive) to find, except on this one Census.

Any ideas anyone?

Anne

[SarahND]

Hi Anne,
Here's a start.

On Ancestry there is a Helen Bussell, age 4mo, born Leith

11 W Richmond St, Newington, Edinburgh St Cuthberts
Eliza Allen, 30, Head, born Edinburgh
Rose Allen, 4, Daughter, born Edinburgh
Helen Bussell, 4mo, Nurse Child, born Leith

Could she be mis-transcribed?

Regards,
Sarah

[apanderson]

Mmmm.....? Don't think so Sarah.

I can't think why the family would be split up.

I can imagine mum Ann would be with the kids while dad George was maybe elsewhere as he was in the Military, but that's more just my gut feeling that being based on anything concrete.

Thank you for your input anyway - you'd think with a name like Chissel there wouldn't be too many variants. Wrong!!

Anne

[nelmit]

I like the wee Helen that Sarah found - may be worth a check at the original. There certainly isn't a Helen Bussell (or Russell) born at Leith indexed at the IGI.

I tried searching 'Hillhousefield' too but no sign of them there.

Regards,
Annette

[apanderson]

Had a look ....... wee Helen has been mistranscribed.

Unfortunately though - she's Helen RUSSELL (Rufsell), not Chissel.

Anne

[nelmit]

Had a look ....... wee Helen has been mistranscribed.

Unfortunately though - she's Helen RUSSELL (Rufsell), not Chissel.

Anne

Sorry Anne .

I owe you a look up.

Regards,
Annette

[car]

On the chance that Ann has put in her maiden name I searched -

D*n* Ann* aged 27/28 census county Midlothian and District Leith and came up with 1 match.

D*n* George aged 1-2 Midlothian and Leith and came up with 2 matches.

D*n* Helen aged 0-0 (also 0-1) Midlothian and Leith and came up with 1 match.

I don't have any credits at the moment and maybe a wild goose chase but if you are cluching at straws........

Hope it works out.

Christine

[apanderson]

Annette - I'm about round the bend with this family, so your suggestion on following up was another avenue to try, and I'm at the stage of trying ANYTHING!!

Christine - OOoooooo!! I'll have a look at those shortly. That's one method I didn't try.

I'll post back after I've had a look!

Thanks both of you.

Anne

[apanderson]

Nope ..... not them.

Donaldson, Ann (27/28)
Donaldson, Helen (0/1)
Dawson, George (1/2)
Duncan, George (1/2)

It was worth a try though!

Anne

[car]

Sorry it didn't work out.

Any idea where George's regiment was at the time of the census?

Christine