Ever wondered if the census taker came around right after your 5th great-grandpa got back from the local tavern or having a some moonshine?
In all seriousness, it is always good to keep in mind that we don’t know who provided information to the census taker, what the informant really knew about the other people in the household, or whether they occasionally intentionally lied. Occasionally when a family has a large number of children and the entire enumeration appears to be correct, I have wondered if the informant referred to the family Bible to determine the correct ages. That’s not always the case.
In additional all seriousness, most errors were likely unintentional or simply oversights–occasionally the informant might have even been told to (shockingly) guess.
And when asked how many children…”too darn many” is too large to fit in that little answer box.
–Michael
2 Responses
My favorite is from the 1920 U. S. Federal Census, but not for an actual entry. Rather, it is for the transcript as seen on Ancestry.com. For Industry, the transcript said “Naturalist.” For Occupation, the transcript said “General Panties.” I am NOT making this up! The actual entries were “Veterinarian” and “General Practice.”
Well that certainly is an interesting transcription!