Ethel Moorhead, Dundee
St Peter Registration Office
57 Perth Road
Dundee, April 4 1911
The Registrar General,
Dear Sir,
The Census - Refusal by a Suffragette
Miss Ethel A M Moorhead, a Suffragette, residing at "The Weisha", Hazel Drive, Perth Road, determinedly refused to furnish the particulars required for the Census Schedule delivered at her house last week, and received from her yesterday evening by Mr David Young, my assistant.
I enclose the schedule in the state in which she handed it to my assistant. It contains, as you will observe, a statement written across it by Miss Moorhead & signed by her, explaining her attitude.
When the Enumerator called at the home last week he handed the schedule to the maid who answered his call & she furnished him with the particulars set forth in the face of the schedule. Mr George Moorhead, whose name is given, is the father of the said Miss Moorhead, & a retired Brigade Surgeon. The maid gave his name to the Enumerator evidently in the belief that he was the "Head" of the house. Miss Moorhead denies that her father is Head of the house; asserts that she is Occupier, & , consequently, is its Head.
On these grounds she contends that the Schedule was illegally delivered, and that therefore she was under no obligation whatever to take delivery of it, and to supply the particulars required by it.
In explaining why her name had not been written on the face of the schedule in room of her father's, [the Assistant Registrar] offered to her a new schedule. She declined to accept it, asserting that as it had not been delivered to her before the expiry of the time fixed for its delivery, it was illegal for her to accept it, and, further, she would not on any account provide the particulars requested. My Assistant reasoned with her to induce her to provide the necessary particulars relating to the inmates of her house & herself, but she remained obdurate in her refusal.
To the best of our knowledge and belief, there was at least 3 persons sleeping in her house on Sunday night including Mr George Moorhead, Miss Moorhead and a servant maid.
Yours Faithfully,
J G Miller
Registrar.
[Endorsement initialled by James Patten Macdougall, Registrar General for Scotland.]
Enumerator had better fill up the Schedule to the best of his ability - intimating what he has said, - ages etc - as set forth on p.32 of the 'Instructions'. If Miss Moorhead is still obdurate she should be reported to the Procurator Fiscal.
J P M 5.4.11.
St Peter Registration Office
57 Perth Road
Dundee
[received 8 April 1911]
Dear Sir,
In accordance with your instructions in your letter of the 6. inst. - I called upon Mr Moorhead this evening about six o'clock.
While I had just read the first paragraph of your letter, Miss Moorhead, his daughter (whose refusal to fill up a Census Schedule I have already reported to you) came hastily into the Room, challenged my right to enter her home without first obtaining her authority, & peremptorily commanded me to leave at once, at the same time declaring that no information would be given to me. I begged her not to interfere with me in the performance of my duty and told her I would listen only to her father, & that I would go whenever he asked me. Then she ran off to another room, and almost instantly returned with a large brass bell, which she kept continually clanging to drown my voice while I was endeavouring to make myself heard to her father.
She asked her father not to give me any information. I continued to address myself to her father, & in response to my request I began to read from the Schedule the particulars required, when she suddenly snatched the Schedule out of my hand, and crushed it into the fire.
While she was doing this I elicited from her father that he was 80 years of age, & that he was born in Kildare.
Any further information it was impossible for me to obtain, owing to Miss Moorhead's loud & offensive tongue & the clanging of her bell.
She ordered me to get out of the house as the house was hers.
I said I would go when Mr Moorhead, who had given me permission to speak to him, asked me to go; whereupon she telephoned to the Central Police Office for officers to come and remove me.
While she was so engaged, I quitted the house, being convinced of the hopelessness of getting any further information.
In your letter you instructed me that, should I fail to obtain the requisite particulars, I should complete the Schedule to the best of my ability, & report to the Procurator Fiscal.
Before during anything in this direction I deem it prudent to report the whole of the facts contained in this letter to you. Were I to call on the Fiscal about one case I could not justly make any charge against Mr Moorhead, for he not only never refused to give the particulars I desired to obtain, but gave me the two I have mentioned, when Miss Moorhead prevented me from obtaining more.
I will, however, compile the Schedule to the best of my ability and retain it so filled up, until I am further advised by you.
Yours faithfully,
J G Miller
Registrar
[Endorsement initialled by James Patten Macdougall, Registrar General for Scotland.]
Yes, - he has done quite rightly. He may write to inform the father that owing to his Daughter's conduct - as to which he does not advise to trouble him further he has been obliged to fill up the schedule to the best of his ability in the absence of the exact information which it was the duty of the Occupier to supply. He may further thank him for his courtesy & express regret that this step should have been necessary
J P M 10/4/11
St Peter Registration Office
57 Perth Road
Dundee, April 12/11
The Registrar-General,
Edinburgh.
Dear Sir,
Census - Mr Moorhead Schedule etc
I hereby acknowledge yours of the 11th inst. & beg to say I have written to Mr Moorhead very much in the terms you suggested.
I might also inform you that I succeeded in getting the necessary information in another case of refusal. The Enumerator delivered the Schedule, but failed completely to obtain return of it, tho' on one occasion he was accompanied by a police Constable to assist him.
The family had recently come from England, but the father had left for a distant part months ago to search for work. His wife put the Schedule into the fire when she received it.
When the Enumerator called to lift the Schedule, he found the door locked & covered with writing in favour of votes for women, & tiny coloured flags flying from the windows. Tho' the occupants were within (for he heard them speaking) they refused to open the door.
The wife properly filled up the Schedule I gave to her & returned it to me, & I handed it to the Enumerator.
Yours faithfully,
J G Miller
Registrar
[The endorsement by Secretary to Registrar General for Scotland ?]
"Acknow. Very Satisfactory".
Letter book concerning 1911 census, GRO6/380/16
Entry in Enumeration book for the Moorhead household, Hazel Drive, Perth Road, Dundee. The Enumerator estimated most of the ages and had to fill in Not Known (N.K.) for some of the occupations and birth place.
