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Archiver > GenMassachusetts > 2002-11 > 1038001016


From: Toby & Jim Hurley <>
Subject: Re: [GM-L] 1930 Census Bristol County
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2002 14:36:56 -0700
References: <00f401c2926c$33d4c2e0$a810d018@new.rr.com>


Gladie,

> Does anyone know if mistakes are common in the earlier Census?

Mistakes are common in all censuses. A lot of it is due to our ancestors didn't necessarily know how to read nor write, thus couldn't spell their own name, people not at home when enumerator came by, so information given by neighbors or whomever, and so on.

> I found my Mother's family in the 1930 Census Bristol County and everyone was listed except my Mother who would have been 8 years old.

Maybe she was sent to a boarding school, or farmed out to labor somewhere, though 8 yrs. old seems a bit young for bringing income into the home, or???????? One person recently wrote to one of these lists that I subscribe to--maybe even this one--that someone was sent to an orphanage or similar for a bit of time. All sorts of possibilities exist for her not being enumerated in
the home.

Remember that this was Depression-era time. I found my paternal grandparents in 1930 census. Their married daughter, her husband, and son living w/ them, along w/ my Dad at 10 years of age.

Good luck w/ the mystery. You should scroll up a few pages and down a few pages, if you didn't already do that already, from the spot where you found your Mom's family to see if you find her living nearby, possibly w/ other relatives or....Always a good idea to do that anyway when working w/ censuses what w/ family often moving together to same places to live.

Toby



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