Most Unusual Census Entry .....

[DavidWW]

Over the years I've come across the "predictable" unusual census entries in terms of names, - fore- and sur- ; relationships that are way off the mark in terms of the reality; ages, with errors in the transcriptions of up to 20 years, never mind errors in correctly transcribed reported ages ; most unusual occupations (in which category another image that I "collected" today at NRH was apposite, as one of the usual euphemisms wasn't used and, instead, the direct term was used for the so-called "oldest profession" ! [Thanks Jack !!], never mind every which error that could be imagined in terms of the place of birth, reported, believed, and transcribed ......................

BTW, I have a large and interesting library of such, which is part of my standard 1 and a half hour lecture on Scottish censuses (that's not advertising, is it )

Today, however, I came across a census entry, the like of which I have never ever seen before .............. see [[http://www.talkingscot.com/gallery/disp ... at=0&pos=0]] ignore this link, use this one!:

http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... p?pos=-702

So who's gonna be the first to twig the nature of the exceedingly unusual entry

David

[emanday]

I'd have to ask, Anne & Henry (top two people as the image is a bit blurry)

Who wears the trousers in this household

[Jack]

Hi David,
Even with my specs on, the writing is too small for me to read....
Jack

[Russell]

Today's puzzler!

Anne King is Head of the household and her husband is - well.......'married'

She's a Draper & furniture ?sales

While he's banging (or is it buying) furniture

Its hard to read and the image doesn't take kindly to enlargement.

Russell

[DavidWW]

I'd have to ask, Anne & Henry (top two people as the image is a bit blurry)

Who wears the trousers in this household

Quite !!!!!

I've never previously seen such a "reverse" entry in terms of the Head of Household.....

David

[emanday]

Well, David...

I can't help wondering what was going through the enumerator's mind when he had to enter that!?

Did they have any specific instructions about who could (or should) be entered as "Head"? Was it based on the standard of the time...

Husband = Head
Wife = Wife

...or were they allowed to reverse that if the woman owned/rented the home and/or had the money?

Don't get me wrong; I don't believe in equality of the sexes. Why should I be expected to lower MY standards , but in those times I think that poor wee Henry must have been "fair gutted" to have had to be recorded that way. She must have been a strong willed woman

[DavidWW]

Well, David...

I can't help wondering what was going through the enumerator's mind when he had to enter that!?

Did they have any specific instructions about who could (or should) be entered as "Head"? Was it based on the standard of the time...

Husband = Head
Wife = Wife

...or were they allowed to reverse that if the woman owned/rented the home and/or had the money?

Don't get me wrong; I don't believe in equality of the sexes. Why should I be expected to lower MY standards , but in those times I think that poor wee Henry must have been "fair gutted" to have had to be recorded that way. She must have been a strong willed woman

Assuming that it was the "Head" who filled in the household schedule in these terms, then the enumerator had no option but to transcribe it !!

David

[emanday]

I'll bet wee Henry never got to see that form before the enumerator got his hands on it

[Jean Jeanie]

I'm confused and

When I click on David's link I get a m.c. for James Ferguson and Janet Hogg 1870

Not a census in sight!

Jean

[smiddykilry]

yep me too no census


Smid