1881 census help

[shineybomb]

I have located my gg grandmother in the 1871 census, age 29 from Armagh, Ireland. I have found a possibility for her in the 1881 census , with same age and occupation but her place of birth is listed as Cork, Ireland.

Is it likely that one of these entries is incorrect and this is the same person. How often were entries wrongly entered?

In 1871 she was in the Paddington Workhouse so is it likely they would not have been so accurate at census taking?

Please help, I'm stuck on this one

[spudqueen]

It is possible that it is the same person. Some of my relatives give different places for their birth (and even different ages) on the census, though they are usually in the same area-ish. Have you found her on the 1891 or 1901 census which may shed some more light on the matter?

[shineybomb]

I've got lots with different ages but then the different dates the census results were taken sometimes explains the differences.

Unfortunately I have not found her on the 1891 or 1901 census but she may have married which makes it more difficult.

I have found a possible match to the Cork one in 1861 though in Wandsworth so those two match, whether they match my Mary though I am still not sure.

[DottyH]

you need to remember that the person giving the information to the census enumerator, usually verbally as many were illiterate, would only give the information they had, and if they remembered a place of birth incorrectly, the entry is then recorded incorrectly. your gg grandmother may well have been absent when the enumerator called to collect the return and a relative may have thought he or she (usually he as the head of the house was responsible for the return) was from cork, maybe they had relatives there, maybe they remembered cork being mentioned.
Any record that relies on the fallibility's of the human mind has to be accepted as often less than accurate.

Imagine when she came back from the market and her husband said, ' The census chap came and i told him you were from Armargh is that right mrs?'
and your gg grandma says, ' No you blithering idiot that's where my sistyer lives now i was born in Cork!!!' and she throws a stick at him, see, human error is a canny thing.

[shineybomb]

Thanks Dotty, just as I thought. I thought it would be her but wanted to get another opinion.
Knowing my family she would probably have whacked him with the stick instead of throw it at him!
Thanks for your help dotty and spud