2 - Great-Great-Granddad was a Cordwainer?

The census is one of the most useful tools available to the genealogist. Since its inception in 1801 it has been carried out every 10 years with only one exception -when the second world war got in the way. The first useful census for our purposes is that of 1841 but this is limited in its information. It holds the names and the ages of each person in the household with the ages of the adults rounded to the nearest five years. From 1851 it also lists the place of birth of each inhabitant and this is the information we are after.

We are very lucky in Lincolnshire as there is a very active Family History Society who, over the years, have indexed all the censuses (or should that be censii!!). This makes it very easy to find anyone of your surname at ten year intervals through the 19th century. Copies of the index are held at the Reference Library, Free School Lane, and at the Archives in St Rumbold St.. If you want to be able to work at home they can also be bought through the FHS. Be prepared though, while some of the enumerators had wonderful copperplate handwriting a few of them could spend their time today writing out doctors prescriptions!!

Census material is held at Lincoln Archives apart from the 1841 which is in the Reference Library. So, armed with the reference numbers from the index to the relevant census, it is an easy matter to check on the entry which interests you. Staff at both places are very helpful and will show you where the films/fiche are kept and how to use the viewers. It is advisable to book in advance as there is only limited space.

The poor of the 19th century were very suspicious of the census thinking that the information could be used against them. When asked the question by the enumerator they could be quite evasive in their answer. Sometimes of course they did not know the answer as the elderly then could be unsure of their age and occasionally the enumerator would 'guess-timate'. Great-Great-Great-Granddad, who moved to Branston from Great Hale when he was but a few months old would have given his place of birth as Branston as "I have always lived here". The moral to this is don't believe implicitly in all that is written. The enumerator and the residents are only human and mistakes are sometimes made.

Most of the Lincolnshire population in the 19th century were involved in farming and the majority of these are classed as Ag. Lab (Agricultural Labourer). Over the years old occupations disappear and new ones replace them. In 1881 William COOLING, aged 67, born in Branston, married and living with his family at Branston gives his occupation as Cordwainer. Later this is replaced by cobbler or shoemaker.
With the family information and census material, with luck, we should now have a line of ancestors back to the early 1800s. The next thing to do is to join all the pieces of information together and for that we will use the Parish Registers.

 

Bits & Bobs

Croxby Baptisms

5th May 1861 - Emma daughter of John & Emma Taylor of Croxby - Labourer.
In the margin    *God-Mother made a mistake and gave the wrong name — it was to have been Eliza.