This article by Kaya Terry and Henry Martin for Mail Online really brought that era to life.
Unlike the United States which releases census and other data after 70 years, in Great Britain (Scotland, England, Wales, and some of Ireland) as well as Canada, the wait is 100 years...
EXCERPT: The census is more detailed than any previous one taken, asking Britons about their place of work, employer and industry for the first time, along with whether they were in full-time or part-time education.
Unlike earlier surveys, respondents could select 'Divorced' as an option for marital status, and in a stark reminder of the Impact of the First World War, the census also asked whether children were orphaned.
A staggering 730,000 children were recorded with FATHER DEAD compared with 260,000 with MOTHER DEAD
More than 16,6000 people identifying themselves as 'DIVORCED' revealing how the topic has become less taboo.
***
CAPITALIZATION is mine.
On the subject of orphans...
In Europe in the 19th century an ORPHAN was a FATHERLESS CHILD. The idea that an orphan had lost BOTH parents is a more modern idea but can still be incorrect. Since it was a rare woman who supported herself and a family, the death or a husband or wife was often responded to by another marriage for practical reasons.
Basically, a child who is an ORPHAN is lacking FINANCIAL SUPPORT by one or both parents and/or the parent(s) cannot nurture and raise a child for some reason. Thus children in ORPHANAGES might still have one or both parents ALIVE somewhere. Orphanages seem to have been replaced by foster care these days.
If you have an ancestor or relative in an ORPHANAGE, know that while many were put up for adoption others were not and thus someone was not agreeing to the child being adopted.
Although an ORPHANAGE could be a small homey place, in general on census records they are called INSTITUTIONS, and thus the children in them are INMATES.
C Ancestry Worship - Genealogy Blogspot
