For a number of years I have been troubled by this problem.

The 1870 census says that these persons were born in Holland, ages ranging from 58 to 7.

The 1880 census says that these same people were born in Prussia. Actually I believe they were born in Mechlenburg-Vorpommern.

Recently while looking at an old map and commentaries about border changes about that time I found that Prussia conquered Schleswig-Holstein in 1864 and then in 1871 that northern part abutting the North Sea including Mech-Vor became part of the German empire.

Now, was that northern part abutting the North Sea before becoming the German empire be considered to be part of the Netherlands (Holland)?

David L. Johnson