Case Study – Searching the 1841 census
Searching for my 3x great-grandfather, John Taylor, single, born 1817, Dadlington, Leicestershire.
John Taylor’s parents were Joseph Taylor and Hannah Woodward. Hannah died in 1929 when John was 12 years old and Joseph died in 1835 when he was just 18 years old, leaving him an orphan. John married Mary Ann King on 28 December 1862 at which time he is a widower and the 1851 census entry for him also shows him as a widower at the age of 33. John may be single in 1841 or may be married. He would be about age 24 in 1841.
John Taylor is a very common name and John’s whereabouts in 1841 are unknown. A search of Taylors in Dadlington returns zero results. A search of Johns in Dadlington in 1841 returns five results: Patterson, Primes, Thompson, Fitch and Short. None of these appear to be our John.
Next we search for John Taylor, born 1817 living anywhere in Leicestershire. The John we are searching for is not living with parents since they are deceased so any results such as these will be dismissed without discussion.
Result #1
St Margaret with Bishops Fee
Class: HO107; Piece 604; Book: 6; Civil Parish: St Margaret With Bishops Fee; County: Leicestershire; Enumeration District: 12; Folio: 30; Page: 14; Line: 19; GSU roll: 438750.
This John Taylor is a tailor so it is unlikely that it is our John.
Result #2
Waltham On the Wolds
Class: HO107; Piece 588; Book: 19; Civil Parish: Waltham On The Wolds; County: Leicestershire; Enumeration District: 12; Folio: 14; Page: 22; Line: 7; GSU roll: 438741.
This John Taylor is also a tailor and is living with a woman, Helen Taylor. Also unlikely to be our John.
Result #3
Medbourne
Class: HO107; Piece 591; Book: 3; Civil Parish: Medbourne; County: Leicestershire; Enumeration District: 5; Folio: 8; Page: 11; Line: 21; GSU roll: 438742.
This John Taylor is an agriculturer labourer, living with Mary Taylor, aged 20 with a child Catherine. This is a possibility, however Medbourne is quite a distance from our John’s birth place of Dadlington.
Result #4
Castle Donington
Class: HO107; Piece 594; Book: 23; Civil Parish: Castle Donington; County: Leicestershire; Enumeration District: 3; Folio: 33; Page: 12; Line: 22; GSU roll: 438744.
This John Taylor is 25 years old, no occupation, living with a woman Hannah Taylor, aged 25 and a child Charles. Possible but not likely.
Result #5
Croft
Class: HO107; Piece 600; Book: 14; Civil Parish: Croft; County: Leicestershire; Enumeration District: 2; Folio: 7; Page: 10; Line: 11; GSU roll: 438748.
This John Taylor is aged 25, a shoemaker, living with an older woman Anna Taylor, aged 60 and younger woman Mary Taylor, aged 20, children Hannah Taylor aged 2, Joseph Taylor aged 1 and Eleanor Paynton, aged 55. While Mary Taylor is the right age to be John’s sister, it doesn’t seem likely that he would have the occupation of Shoemaker. However Croft is quite near to Dadlington so it remains a possibility.
Result #6
Enderby
Class: HO107; Piece 600; Book: 18; Civil Parish: Enderby; County: Leicestershire; Enumeration District: 6; Folio: 33; Page: 24; Line: 1; GSU roll: 438748.
This John Taylor is aged 25, a carpenter, living with Mary Taylor aged 25 and 4 children: William, 6; John, 5; Benjamin, 2; and Albert 5 months. Possible but not too likely.
Result #7
Hinckley
Class: HO107; Piece 601; Book: 5; Civil Parish: Hinckley; County: Leicestershire; Enumeration District: 5; Folio: 18; Page: 28; Line: 14; GSU roll: 438748.
This John Taylor is aged 25, a needle maker, living with Sarah Taylor, aged 20 and child William Taylor, aged 4. While the location seems right, the occupation does not.
Result #8
St Margaret with Bishops Fee
Class: HO107; Piece 604; Book: 10; Civil Parish: St Margaret With Bishops Fee; County: Leicestershire; Enumeration District: 19; Folio: 8; Page: 10; Line: 11; GSU roll: 438750.
This John Taylor is aged 25, a frame work knitter, living with Sarah Taylor, aged 20 and children William aged 10 and Sarah Ann aged 6.
Result #9
St Margaret with Bishops Fee
Class: HO107; Piece 604; Book: 17; Civil Parish: St Margaret With Bishops Fee; County: Leicestershire; Enumeration District: 33; Folio: 18; Page: 28; Line: 18; GSU roll: 438750.
This John Taylor is aged 25, a workman, living with Ann Taylor, also aged 25 and the Carrington family: James and Amy Carrington and children Amy and Thomas.
Result #10
St. Nicholas
Class: HO107; Piece 605; Book: 14; Civil Parish: St Nicholas; County: Leicestershire; Enumeration District: 32; Folio: 21; Page: 4; Line: 1; GSU roll: 438751.
This John Taylor, aged 25 is a butcher so this is likely not our John.
The rest of the John Taylors listed in the 1841 census were not born in Leicestershire. From the ten results obtained, none of these stand out as being our John Taylor although several are possibilities.
Further information is required before we can find John Taylor in the 1841 census.
