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Being your own father's servant?

Being your own father's servant?

Posted: 20 Apr 2013 3:35PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi,

I've found the 1891 census for my 2x great grandmother, but her relationship to her father (Head of the family), as recorded on the census, is 'Servant' instead of daughter! Her occupation is then given as a domestic servant.

This has shocked me to think she may have been referred to as a servant by her own father, rather than his daughter. Her step-mum is also on the census, and her full blood sister is recorded as a daughter, as is her half-siblings.

So I was wondering if this has happened to any other families-that children were their parents' servants, rather than children (according to census records)? What kind of duties would a servant do for when working as a servant for their own parents?

Cheers

Re: Being your own father's servant?

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 6:22PM GMT
Classification: Query
Taking into account the number of inaccuracies, not to mention downright fibs, that are found in the census returns, is it not possible that she was working somewhere else as a servant and someone put her occupation in the wrong column?

Re: Being your own father's servant?

Posted: 22 Mar 2014 12:48PM GMT
Classification: Query
She could have been working as a servant somewhere else and was incorrectly recorded in the census. I haven't got her marriage certificate which could state if she was actually a servant or not. She married 6 years after this census
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