by AndrewA » Sat Sep 14, 2013 10:43 am
AS far as I am aware, the electoral role was compiled in the same way as today, submitting a form to local government which included all the names of people who qualified to vote.
Even if your grandfather was not living with your grandmother, it would be almost expected for a woman calling herself "Mrs Lee" to include her "husband" on the form, to avoid questions. Did Mr Lee compelet the form? we will never know, but certainly the stigma of the times certainly drove people to lie about their relationships, which is all to evident from the fact that your Grandmother went around telling everyone she was married and carrying this deception even on official documents.
This is not uncommon and just about every family researcher will come across an example of people lying about their marital status to protect thier honour of themselves and children.
I have a widow who was living in same house as a widower, she had several children by her departed husband, but the census shows 2 other children born long after the husband died, it is almost certain they are they children of the man she was living with, however the children were not given his surname but the existing family surname. Today is a different story, where you could argue sexual morality has plunged to lower levels, but liberal thinkers will say that is called social progress and advancement, where the stigma of being single parent and living as unmarried couple is not a big deal as it used to be.
Hit a Brickwall? Have you lost all trace of someone? Do not despair, simply make a note they were abducted by aliens! Don't believe in aliens? No problem, just write them off as having disapeared in a time portal