Can't Find Your Ancestors In The Census?

As you expand your family history research, it is likely that you will experience problems finding your ancestors in the census returns. This is quite common as a result of mistranscriptions and the fact that old writing can be difficult to read. What methods can you employ to track them down?

Try different spellings: It will often be the case that your ancestors were entered using a different spelling. For example, my "Curzon" ancestors have appeared in the census as "Curson". It may only be one letter difference, but trying out various alternative spellings can help to find elusive ancestors. This also applies to first names too. For example, one of my ancestors appeared in one census as "Anabella" rather than "Arabella". Names may also be shortened too. For example, Lillian may have been entered as Lily or Lilly; and Arabella may turn up as Bella.

Look for other members of the household: If the above doesn't work, it is worth trying to track down other members of the household if you know their names. This can include siblings, parents or even grandparents (who sometimes moved back in with one of their children after their spouse died).

Use a broader approach:This worked for me when I failed to track down my "Tivey" family. Having tried various alternative spellings and searching for other household members, I had all but given up on finding the family. In desperation, I eventually tracked them down by searching for the family who were living next door in the 1881 census. I searched for this family in the 1891 census and found my own family next door (as before). It quickly became apparent that the reason I could not find them in the searches was because their surname had been crossed out and nothing had been written as a replacement.

Wildcard searches: If you are searching the 1911 census, you can employ a wildcard search. This usually involves incorporating an asterisk (*) into the search terms to get wider results. For example, if you are not sure whether your ancestors may have been entered as "Curzon" or "Curson", typing in Cur* into the wildcard box will bring up all surnames that include CUR at the start of the name. Of course, this will bring up a lot of results, but it can be a useful option if you are struggling to find ancestors otherwise.