Too funny entry on US Census

[Rob9641]

I've been trying to track my great grandfather to connect him with a CW soldier and found a really hilarious entry on the US Census form for the year 1880 - a man who might be my great great grandfather was listed as "Boarder" and a woman was listed as living with him. Her job was listed as "satisfying the pleasure of the one paying her board."

I'm only now getting up off the floor.

 

[Dave Wilma]

I'm willing to be the boarder and his companion were unaware of the entry.

 

[AndyHall]

One of the less-ambiguous entries, I suspect.

 

[Rob9641]

I'm willing to be the boarder and his companion were unaware of the entry.

I don't know. I seem to remember when I was a kid and the census taker came, he wrote everything down right then and there in this book with big paper. This was before laptops, of course.

 

[Capt. Glasgow]

Seems like the census taker was getting a little too bored!

 

[Nathanb1]

Well! That's one for the record books! At least it was clear. I won't elaborate too much on great-grandpa Dickens and his third wife--who was originally hired "to take care of him." She sure did, including his estate.

 

[John Winn]

Well, that's a new one and pretty funny indeed. I wonder what the conversation was like between the census taker and whoever answered the door. That might have had some influence on what was recorded. If I had a relative with an entry like that I'd frame it.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

I've never seen anything so off the wall in a census! Are you really hoping someone that hysterical is your grgrgrandfather? I'd have to guess this man gave that answer to the census taker and watched while he wrote it down.

 

[MRB1863]

Sounds like your GGGrandfather was a real good sport! Would have been fun to converse with, I'm sure!

 

[Rob9641]

I'm not sure the man was my great great grandfather, but it sounds a lot like something my great grandfather would say, so maybe he was.

 

[Allie]

That's as bad as the draft registration I found that says "Wife beater, be sure and mark this one A1!" Apparently a very nasty divorce and whoever was working draft registration knew all about it.

I've never seen anything so off the wall in a census! Are you really hoping someone that hysterical is your grgrgrandfather? I'd have to guess this man gave that answer to the census taker and watched while he wrote it down.

If he was a boarder, more than likely whoever owned the boarding house answered the questions - which could explain a lot.

 

[Rob9641]

That's as bad as the draft registration I found that says "Wife beater, be sure and mark this one A1!" Apparently a very nasty divorce and whoever was working draft registration knew all about it.

If he was a boarder, more than likely whoever owned the boarding house answered the questions - which could explain a lot.

A distinct possibility….