1940 Census Confusion

Question

So I have been working on some extended family profiles this morning and I happen to find a 1940 Louisiana Census for this profile that I am currently working on. 

However, now I have two separate 1940 Louisiana Census records with this person living in two separate household. If anyone can shed some light on this and maybe see something I am not. Here are links to the two Census records:

This one has him listed as head of house and married living with his wife and five children.

"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89MR-G747?cc=2000219&wc=QZXP-WYF%3A790102701%2C794718801%2C794785201%2C951849301 : accessed 26 December 2020), Louisiana > St. Mary > Police Jury Ward 6, Morgan City > 51-14 Police Jury Ward 6, Morgan City bounded by (N) city limits; (E) Federal Av extended, Federal Av; (S) Freret; (W) city limits > image 41 of 62; citing Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012.

This one has him listed as living with his father and brother.

"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89MR-G7SL?cc=2000219&wc=QZXP-WYF%3A790102701%2C794718801%2C794785201%2C951849301 : accessed 26 December 2020), Louisiana > St. Mary > Police Jury Ward 6, Morgan City > 51-14 Police Jury Ward 6, Morgan City bounded by (N) city limits; (E) Federal Av extended, Federal Av; (S) Freret; (W) city limits > image 60 of 62; citing Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012.

Answer 1

Possibly caused by different dates of enumeration: 17th and 23rd.  Head of household may have been visiting with parents on the second date.  I've seen this happen in New Orleans at earlier dates.

Comments

Oh wow, Ok. I didn't realize that this is something that is a known error/mistake. I've never heard this before! hahaha!

 Thanks so much!

Answer 2

I have come across this also. One day the child is at home, a day or two later the same child is enumerated again at grandma's house. Isn't this fun?

Comments

I was SO confused and even thought that maybe I was missing something. I didn't realize that this is something that is a known error/mistake. I've never heard this before! hahaha!

 Thanks so much!

Answer 3

Don't sweat it. I've seen this once in a while among my own relations. I assume they asked the father who his children were, without specifying that they just wanted the ones who live there.

People in their early 20s, especially, can be problematic in the census. They often have not established a permanent home, so they can be missed, or counted twice. It's more unusual to have that problem they're you're married, and have children, but it still happens. My great-great grandfather Baxter is listed in two different states in 1850, when he was 28, and had two children!

Comments

I didn't realize that this is something that is a known error/mistake. I've never heard this before! hahaha! I am so glad that I asked though.

 Thanks so much!

Answer 4

I had one of my notables show up twice in the 1940 census - she is listed as being in both NYC and in Philadelphia!!

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hanff-15

Apparently some cities were enumerated twice for some reason. I was given a reason, (possibly because not all the questions were being asked the first time around I think) but being several years ago, I am not sure how accurate that is.

As for Helene, I beleive she was in NYC at the time, because some of the details on the Philly census are wildly wrong.

Comments

Well, that is definitely something worth looking into on my part. I feel like this is something I should now considering how much I rely on census records for tracking families. Thank you for the help.