Genealogy Forum UK

Been down the library and pleased with what I turned up. I just cannot read an address or two and I'm hoping someone used to 'decoding scribble' who has a good eye would kindly help.

Subject is William Oakes living in Camberwell, in the 1871 census the family is living at 10 Cooper's Terrace, but there is something written underneath looks like "End in Bush Lane", "Land on Bush Lane" or even "Bird in Hand Road" !

In the 1851 census the same chap William Oakes seems to be living in 2 Monale Place but this is difficult to read, I even went back a page hoping the writing was clearer but no joy.

Just spent a quiet hour constructing a blank census form to transfer facts onto from the screen. Is there anywhere that explains all the 'text boxes' on the form, all the place names along the top and what does 'condition' mean and there are strokes of the pen/pencil that seam to mean something, but what?

My continuing thanks to you all. Cheers, Tony.

You don't say when William's birth date...?

Checked the Enumerators description and it looks like 'Bird in Bush Road' Peckham, Camberwell to me

This http://yourarchives.nationalarchives.go ... ts_Project is a very good site if you aren't sure of the road name, or if you want to know what other road was nearby.
It looks as though Mallosa is spot on with Bird in the Bush Road for 1871. The 1851 one is Marah Place (near Old Kent Road).

That looks an excelent site gardener. I remember when I tried to trace the family once before, I came across a "Haunch of Venison Yard". I think the house was turned into a Japanese restaurant!

All this help you are giving me is getting me to thinking 'what can I do in return'. If anyone would like me to send them the blank census form so you can type in the appropriate boxes, let me know. But I do suppose there are already things like this floating round the ether.

Thanks to all once again.

Cheers, Tony.

"The clerks who compiled and reviewed the census data made a variety of marks on the returns. Unfortunately, many of these tally marks were written over personal information and some fields, such as ages, can be difficult to read as a result. More useful marks include a single slash between households within a building and a double slash separating households in separate buildings."

"Name of street, place, road, etc.

House number or name

Name of each person that had spent the night in that household

Relationship of person enumerated to the head of the family

Person's marital status (this is what is classed as Condition)

Age at last birthday (sex is indicated by which column the age is recorded in)

Person's rank, profession, or occupation

Person's place of birth (if outside of England or Wales, only the country may be given)

Whether blind, deaf, or idiot"

It was those diagonal lines I didn't understand.

Cheers and thanks, Tony.