1911 census - at sea?

[casserole]

Hello folks,

Wonder if anyone can help.

I'm looking for my grandfather and can't find him in the 1911 census in Glasgow.

In the 1901 census he is with his mother (widow) and sisters at Thistle Street, Gorbals, Glasgow aged 11.
In the 1911 census his mother is at Thistle Street, Glasgow with his two sisters and two granddaughters but he isn't there.

He would be 20/21 at this time and it is possible that he was either in the Merchant Navy or Royal Navy. His marriage certificate of 1918 gives his occupation as Steward Royal Navy.
I have the CR10 document and Medal Card showing that he was a Steward in the Royal Navy during the WW1. The Medal Card shows British Medal, Mercantile Marine Medal, Mercantile Marine Ribbon and British Medal Ribbon issued in Sept 1919. There are no details of ships on these documents.

Sorry to have been so longwinded but if he had been at sea during the 1911 census would there be census records anywhere? Did ships captains have to record similar census details to those ashore?

Many thanks for taking the time to read this.
All the best,
Carole

[Hibee]

Hi Carole

Have you checked ScotlandsPeople, under County "Minor Records".

I think it might depend on whether he gave a Scottish Address as his shore domicile.

Hibee

[casserole]

Hello Hibee,

Yes, I've tried that. His name was Myers RIEMER/REIMER so I have tried various spellings.

I'm certain that he would have given Glasgow as his address as he was born there in 1895 and lived there with his parents (father died in 1896) after his parents arrived from Germany in 1885. He then married in Glasgow in 1918 and had three children there.

I think it is possible that he could have joined one of the companies around Glasgow which sailed to America but I have no proof of that.

Carole

[nelmit]

Hi Carole,

Looks like he lied about his age (unless there are two) when he joined the Merchant Navy.

His record is on Find My Past - Myers Reimers born 1890 Glasgow.

http://www.findmypast.co.uk/search/merc ... &nOffset=0

Regards,
Annette

[casserole]

Hello Annette,

My mistake. He was born in 1889, Glasgow and that IS him that you have found. I have copies of those documents.

Still looking for Myers RIEMER/REIMER in the 1911 census age about 20/21.

Am I on the correct forum for finding out whether ships of British registration had to submit details of those on board on census night?

Many thanks,
Carole

[Currie]

Hello Carole,

This page has information about the counting of crew and passengers on board ships and where the information is located. It seems pretty complicated and changed over time. http://homepage.ntlworld.com/hitch/gendocs/census2.html

I suppose the main purpose of a census is to count people resident in a country at a particular point in time. If a merchant ship wasn’t visiting a British port around census time it appears they missed the count.

The procedure for the Royal Navy was different and it seems they should have been counted wherever.

Hope that helps,
Alan

[casserole]

Hello Alan,

Many thanks for your reply. What an interesting site and certainly something to look into. I have no proof that he was in the Merchant Navy at that time and he could even have been in the Royal Navy so I have to start somewhere.

Many thanks again.
Carole

[trish58]

Great link Alan.

Thanks-Trish

[Elwyn 1]

I suppose it’s helpful to bear in mind that there will always be some people who for one reason or another are missed on census night. In the recent census in Scotland, I know 2 people who were on a small island off the West coast of Scotland. The island is not usually occupied all the year round, and the enumerators obviously weren’t aware anyone was there at that time. They have therefore been missed, and in 100 years their descendants will search the 2011 census for them in vain. Likewise I know 2 people who are retired and live permanently in an RV. They too slipped through the net. Anyone away in Spain on holiday for 2 weeks on census night will also be missed. There were obviously other similar situations in years gone by, especially for people on the move at the time.