Family Historian User Group

Hi,
Is there anyone out there who can make any sense of the attached?
It's from the last column (Blind, Deaf, Lunatic, etc.) of the 1881 Census for Bromley (Bow) Workhouse.
Looks to me like 'P... 8 years' - but what is after the P?
I'd be very grateful for any suggestion.
Thanks.
joldies.

ID:2147

Would you let us know the Census reference for it so we can look it up if need be. It sometimes helps if you can see more of the person's handwriting.

Cheers

Nick

I agree, from the spacing in the sample the mystery letters appear to be close to the word in the previous column and I would guess are part of that column. Seeing the whole entry would let us know how tidy the transcribing is

Agreed, I see it more as part of the previous column and reading 'London Sq'

Sometimes the last column is used for making additional notes. e.g. is the person referred to 8 years old, was the age written a bit unclearly in the age column so the person writing out the census entry clarified it at the end of the row.

I also thought that it looked like Sq (but not sure that makes sense) and it looks like part of the previous entry.

Hi,
Thanks all for your ideas.
The ref. is: RG11/504/f60/p1.

I agree it does look like part of the previous column, now that it's pointed out, and seen on its own I like the idea of London Sq - but thought the first letter looked more like the P in Poplar, also on the page than the S in the man's name and occupation ...  (yes, I really am trying to trace John Smith![cry])
In other censuses, he says he is born in Bethnal Green.

Thanks for your help.
joldies

Well, it could be Bg. for Bethnall Green

It's also possible that there's something in between that and the 8 years that's been 'enhanced' out of existence... I have known that to happen occasionally if it's much fainter than the rest of the page.

It looks like it is London.

The main where born column already says Bethnal Green London. The transcriber (presumably from the LDS transcription) also made this out as Bethnal Green, although they also thought it said Middlesex at the end!

I don't see why there would be an additional Sq after London so I feel it is part of the deaf/dumb/lunatic column. There are inconsistencies in the handwriting, for instance Patrick Finegan and Patrick Donovan have different shape Ps than the one used at the start of Poplar.

Sorry I'm not very helpful, but I feel it is referring to some affliction he had for 8 years. There are a couple of others listed clearly as blind on page 4/31 (ancestry page numbers) so it can't be that. Page 11/31 has someone listed as Deaf Dumb and Blind from birth and none of those look similar. Page 12/31 has something different also indecipherable. There are several Imbeciles and one paralysed from birth on page 25.

Thanks for all your ideas.
I think I am tending to agree with Tom in that it is probably some affliction the poor fellow has had for 8 years.
Scrolling through the other pages, I now see lots of Marys ending with the 'q/y' - but that doesn't help either!
However, thank you all for your time.
joldies.

Could be London, Sy meaning Surrey.

Unfortunately Bethnal Green is North of the river, so if so, it's wrong anyway (but did the enumerator know that?)

I read this as 'Py', an abbreviation for the affliction and not connected with the birth address (Bethnal Green London). It could stand for Palsy (= a form of paralysis), and the 81 year old has suffered from it for 8 years. A death certificate may help if this condition was listed as a contributing cause.

I tend to favour an affliction, too - or maybe just a comment of some kind on the inmate.
I now know that he was still alive in 1889 (age is wrong in '81) so although apparently not well, whatever it was he didn't die immediately. However,it looks as if the death cert. will be the best way to solve it. Just need to decide which John Smith to go for!

Thanks again for your ideas.
joldies.