Margaret Worrell - 1911 census

[VALLMO9]

I've just realised that another great-aunt of mine is "missing" from the 1911 census.

Margaret (Maggie) Worrell, born 21 March 1895 in Aldershot, Hampshire to parents Robert & Ellen Worrell. She was age 16 when the census was taken, but she's not with her mother Ellen and younger siblings on census night at 2 Holly Road, Aldershot. (Also missing from this census is an older sister Georgina, born 6 April 1893 in Aldershot - her 1911 whereabouts remain a mystery).

So unless mum Ellen simply "forgot" to include Maggie (and Georgina) in the 1911 census household, they should be lurking somewhere. (An older sister, Jessie, was employed at the local McGregor Barracks, Aldershot in 1911. Would Maggie, age 16, have been too young to work there?)

Any assistance with locating Margaret/Maggie in 1911 will be gratefully appreciated!

[Mick Loney]

Would Maggie, age 16, have been too young to work there?)

Whilst I’m not sure she was old enough to work in the Barracks as you ask, she was certainly old enough to be in service in a household. I’ve seen girls as young as 12 in service as a scullery maid for example, so I would think that this could be the case with Maggie, ( or she was still at a boarding school somewhere). If indeed she was in service, the head of household may not have known her true age, nor how she spelt her name, so broaden your search criteria accordingly.

[VALLMO9]

None of Maggie's twelve siblings were sent to boarding school. Also, I've been searching for her using various name spellings (including "Morrell"), and a birth year range from 1890-1900. No luck yet.

Yesterday I did see an unrelated 16-year-old female in the 1911 census - working as a servant at an army barracks. So it appears a 16-year-old wasn't too young to work at a barracks.

It's odd that Maggie's older sister (Georgina, age 18) is missing from the census, as well. Perhaps their Mum only did a rough head count that census night, and missed out those two daughters. But I doubt it. Their father Robert is missing from that census, too. The search continues...

[avaline]

A long shot. FmP has transcribed an 18-year old Margaret Hamill born Aldershot at as a teacher in Coventry in 1911, but the surname appears to have been written in two different inks, as if the person completing it wasn't sure and went back later to correct it. The first letter does look like more an H than an M, but the rest could be orrill.

The head of house was Elise Rolfe aged 62 from Belgium, so perhaps the language difference caused some confusion?

I've looked for births or other census records for anyone with a similar surname to Hamill born Aldershot around the same time and can't find anyone, so I guess its possible it could be Margaret Worrell?

[VALLMO9]

In interesting find, but I'm fairly certain that lady isn't my Maggie. When an older sister of Maggie wed a soldier in 1912, they later settled in Yorkshire. During the war, this older sister arranged for Maggie to move in with them at their home in north Yorkshire. Maggie got a job working in a local silk mill after her arrival. So I don't believe Maggie was ever a teacher.

[sdup26]

This is the longest of very long shots, but there's a Maggie Worrall, aged 16, on the 1911 census for Woolwich, London, a boarder with the Black family, and her birthplace is given as Woolwich. However, also listed as a boarder born Woolwich is George Worrall, aged 18, and both boarders have the occupation 'machinist.' As that seems an unlikely occupation for a young man, could 'George' be Georgina and their birthplace be incorrect? As I said, a very long shot!

[avaline]

In interesting find, but I'm fairly certain that lady isn't my Maggie. When an older sister of Maggie wed a soldier in 1912, they later settled in Yorkshire. During the war, this older sister arranged for Maggie to move in with them at their home in north Yorkshire. Maggie got a job working in a local silk mill after her arrival. So I don't believe Maggie was ever a teacher.

You may well be right - it was always a long shot - but looking at the adverts placed by Elise Rolfe around that time, the final sentence includes 'Class for Honiton, Point & Maltese Laces'. Perhaps Maggie was skilled in needlework? There were also classes in solo singing, and Elise's daughter, Laura, is in later adverts as a piano teacher, so I don't think this was what we would think of as a traditional school.

[VALLMO9]

Hi sdup26 - yes, I'd seen that 1911 census of the three Worrell siblings (?) boarding in the Black household. Not my Maggie or Georgina, I'm afraid. They did have an older brother named John, but the 1911 census shows him still living in Aldershot with his wife and children. (I do note that Mrs Emma Black was also from Aldershot, but after briefly researching her, I've determined she's not related to my lot).

Avaline - thanks for the follow-up info. However, my Maggie was a just a mill-worker in north Yorkshire. As far as I'm aware, she had no special skills or experience. She was still working in the local silk mill when she eventually married in 1935.

On a side note: In 1919 Georgina was a telephone operator in Sittingbourne, Kent. She's impossible to locate in 1911. There's a possibility she may have used a different surname for the census, but so far I haven't found anyone who could be her. Her family nickname was "Lal". But I can't locate her with that name either.

I keep wondering if both sisters worked at one of the army barracks in Aldershot, and were recorded incorrectly on the 1911 census...?? And no, neither were suffragettes trying to avoid the census.

[sdup26]

As you say, Robert, Georgina and Maggie all seem to be missing from 1911; I can't find them separately or together. As Robert was from London, did they miss enumeration because they were all travelling to or from the capital?