Any Idiots in Your Family?
I was just checking out the census forms of 1901 for family history research and found the different ‘forms’ that were distributed at the time. I wonder how they assessed those who should be on ‘Form D’? I
- Form E: Workhouse return.
- Form F: Hospital return.
- Form G: College and Boarding-School return.
- Form H: Barrack return.
- Form I: Return of Idiots and Lunatics in institutions.
- Form K: Prison return.
- Form C: Return of the sick at their own homes.
- Form D: Return of lunatics and idiots not in institutions.
I have just returned the recent 2011 census form, and the collecting agent looked quite grumpy and didn’t appreciate any of my light banter – I wonder will she grade me as ‘a lunatic or an idiot not in an institution’ ?
I found the form with my grandfather, James Sullivan’s ( World War 1 memoirs) household on it – He was 3 at the time. Thankfully he wasn’t on Form I or D!
