Nov 2010
We’ve made a fascinating discovery in the 1911 census which shows that you didn’t have to be living in a house on census night to be recorded.
This census return details 10 homeless men ‘found in open air’ on census night. The men’s ages range from 23 to 62 and all were employed; their professions include cigar maker, farm labourer and boot maker.
Most of the men were born in London, but one of the men was born in Atlantic City, New York State, US.
Click to enlarge
The registrar has signed the form with the following comment: ‘Copied from Police Reports of Homeless Persons Enumerated as sleeping out 2/4/11′.
It is discoveries such as these which give us a wonderfully detailed picture of the different lives that were captured on census night.
Similarly. I found 3 men in London, Whitechapel, Chamber Street, recorded as ‘homeless’ open air, under the arches ; Mr Charles Wiggins, 54, seaman, married, born Vauxhall, plus two others.
RG14PN1491 RG78PN52 RD18 SD2 ED15 SN217
It is interesting to see a man in the 1911 census, “born in Atlantic City, New York State, US”. Atlantic City is not in NY State. It is in New Jersey.
I was thrilled to find my husbands Great Grandfather living in a Shed with 4 others on a Farm in Thanet, Kent. He was a Farm Labourer. Found by the Police. We always knew he had left his wife c 1895 and I was unable to find him in the 1901 Census. Knowing that he still lived in Kent in 1911 enabled me to then find his death in Kent in 1926. If it wasn’t for the fact that they were trying to include all the homeless for the 1911 census we might never had found him.
Something similar in 1911, Thorngumbald District, East Riding of Yorkshire.
Scedules 79 and 80.
“found in Cowshed” Enumerated by Police.
an earlier census in sheffield quoted a family from london found in churchyard on night of census. cannot remember whch census though sorry
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