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British by percentage

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Madmeg

Madmeg Report 27 Aug 2012 00:27

My gg grandmother appears on the 1911 census in Glossop, Derbyshire. She is 72. She has appeared on every previous census as born Ribchester, Lancashire. On the 1911 census she states her Nationality as "British by Percentage". What does that imply?

ACcording to my research, both her parents were born in Lancashire.

brummiejan

brummiejan Report 27 Aug 2012 00:31

Might it say 'British by parentage'?
Jan

MargaretM

MargaretM Report 27 Aug 2012 00:35

I'm sure it would say "British by parentage".

Madmeg

Madmeg Report 27 Aug 2012 00:38

She is Margaret Davies, born 1839, Ribchester, Lancashire. She is living with her unmarried daughter Annie Fish, born 1873, Glossop. Just so you don't all worry, Margaret (nee Duxbury) married Richard Fish and had five sons and one daughter with him (the daughter being Annie). She then married John Davies, hence her surname in 1911.

I does not say British by parentage. It says British by percentage.

mgnv

mgnv Report 27 Aug 2012 00:39

It should say British by Parentage.
If you're British, and you didn't acquire citizenship by naturalization, then that is how you acquired your citizenship.

Madmeg

Madmeg Report 27 Aug 2012 00:39

Surely if a British person has British parents, they are British by parentage, and would have no need to state this on the census.

GlitterBaby

GlitterBaby Report 27 Aug 2012 00:44

1911 so am I looking at the wrong entry

Name: Margaret Davies
Age in 1911: 42 - 72 on image
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1869
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Female
Birth Place: Ribchester, Lancashire
Civil parish: Glossop
County/Island: Derbyshire
Country: England
Street Address: 15 Duke St
Marital Status: Widowed
Registration district: Glossop
Registration District Number: 441
Sub-registration district: Glossop
ED, institution, or vessel: 6
Piece: 21271
Household Members: Name Age
Margaret Davies 42
Annie Fish 37 - daughter, Glossop

brummiejan

brummiejan Report 27 Aug 2012 00:46

No, they didn't need to, but many people just filled in all the columns. (As we all do now if in doubt I suppose!).
Jan

MargaretM

MargaretM Report 27 Aug 2012 00:47

The top of that column states:

State Whether:

1-British Subject by parentage.
OR
2-Naturalized British Subject etc.

GlitterBaby

GlitterBaby Report 27 Aug 2012 00:47

I think she just misunderstood the question in column 15

jax

jax Report 27 Aug 2012 00:48

It does say only fill in if born abroad...but how many people read instructions?

mgnv

mgnv Report 27 Aug 2012 00:48

Not everyone fills out forms properly. If you want an easy example, just look thru a few 1911 censuses - how many times do you see the guy say he's been married 10 y, has 4 live births with 3 still living - course, the enumerastor usually crosses it out as the block of columns is headed "State, for each married woman entered on this Schedule, the number of:"

Robert

Robert Report 27 Aug 2012 00:48

a spelling mistake

brummiejan

brummiejan Report 27 Aug 2012 00:49

I think we can forget how difficult this probably was for many people, who weren't overly literate and probably had never filled in a form before. God knows we get lots of practice now.
Jan

Madmeg

Madmeg Report 27 Aug 2012 00:55

Glitter Baby that is her. Sorry if I didn't post it. So long since I have been on here, I have forgotten what to do.

Oh no, she is not 42, she is 72. You have misread it it Glitter Baby.

So you can see that she gives her nationality as "British by percentage". Now maybe she meant by parentage, but given that most people are British by parentage, why would that need to be highlighed.

but her parents were both born in Lancashire.

Alexander Duxbury born 12 April 1915, Bilington, Lancashire and Nancy (Ann) Bennet born 22 Nov 1811,Ribchester.

Confused or what?

Margaret

jax

jax Report 27 Aug 2012 00:58

Margaret

They told you what to write she just spelt it wrong

brummiejan

brummiejan Report 27 Aug 2012 01:01

They just wrote it because they thought they had to fill in all the columns. If you fill that column in there is only one option you can choose as an English person and that it 'British by parentage'.
Jan