Thread: 'Unknowns' on Census Sheets

Hi, I'm Jeannie and I live on a boat called Sabine. It's my first time on one of these boards so forgive me if I don't follow the right procedures. I was searching through 1851 census sheets for Middx/Westminster St.Margaret/Dis 21 and came across an entry that said "name unknown" against the address then "two men unknown said to be between 20 & 30 years of age". It's the last entry for that District so maybe the enumerator was too tired to find out their names. Has anyone come across this before?

Hi Jeannie



Welcome to AA. Hope you enjoy your stay here! No, I haven't come across that on a census before .....maybe the guys couldnt speak english??!!??? lol



Good Luck with your research





Loz

Hello Jeannie,



A warm welcome to AA you will find that all the people on here are very friendly and helpful so I hope that you enjoy your time on the site. I must admit that "unknown" for the name on a census is not something that I have come across but like Petal said there may be someone with an idea about it you can only ask.



Mattygirl

Hi Jeannie,



Welcome to Ancestry Aid, I hope you enjoy the site. The further you go back the more common these transcriptions become. They are more commom in areas where there is a high illiteracy or immigration rate. Also in institutions and hospitals where the person is unable to communicate. It is more common for an age to be transcribed as above or below 30 than between two figures.

Hi and welcome to AA



Jan

Hi Jeannie,



Welcome to AA,hope you enjoy your stay, as to your question,on transcribing 1841, yes have come across quite a few written unknown and not known.Good luck with your own research.

Hi Jeannie, welcome to AA. Have not come across anything like that on the census sheets I've been researching. But good luck with your research.

Hi Jeannie, welcome to Ancestry Aid & good luck with your research.

Hello Jeannie,



A warm welcome to AA, good to have you aboard.



Enjoy what the site has to offer and Good Luck with your research.

Nanna