Disclaimer:  This is a brief sketch on creating a research plan from information listed in a census.  These are my research notes to myself. Do not
take away that this is thorough, complete and reasonably exhausted plan. Research plans evolve as additional resources are identified, located, reviewed and analyzed.

I am starting to look for information on my great aunt Lucy Budny’s husband, Francis Roy Hepworth. Roy as he was called was born in Michigan.  His parents were British immigrants who first settled near Windsor, Ontario.  Roy’s great grandfather is David Hepworth, who is presumed to be the son of Martha Hepworth.

I have located a 1851 census entry for David and Martha Hepworth. Based on other known family data, I believe this is the correct family.

Analysis

Let’s jump to the most glaring information first, the three illegitimate children.  There are those who would rush to say that those are Martha’s children and list them as such in their family tree. But, do they really belong to Martha.  The enumerator does not list the relationship of the children to Martha Hepworth.

The children are listed as illegitimate grandchildren of Thomas Hepworth. Without further evidence, one cannot assume that Martha Hepworth is the biological mother to the three children. The children could have belonged to another of Thomas Hepworth’s children. Additional research is needed. The research plan needs to include the birth, marriage, death, religious records of the children for the names of the birth parent(s).

One also has to research the illegitimacy and legitimacy laws regarding children in the mid-1800’s of England. If the mother married the father, were previous records changed to list him as the father, was there a legal document required to be field with local courts?   If she married someone else, did that person become the de facto father of the illegitimate children? Did these children assume his name, keep their mother’s maiden name, or did take the name of the biological father if known.

The research plan is identifying possible records to research.  The evaluation you do of the sources can lead to additional sources and repositories that you have not considered.

Sure, we want to look at the information about the people first. An analysis has to be done about the record itself.  Why was it created and what was its purpose? Keep in mind that these records were not created for future genealogical research.

What were the instructions to the enumerator, what do abbreviations mean? What day was the census taken? Plan on researching the purpose and background of source as part of your exhaustive research.

My research plan will include looking for sources that will list Thomas Hepworth’s widow and other possible children. I also have to examine why the nephew Richard Hepworth is living with the family. How does he fit in the Hepworth line? Is it significant to know why he is living there? Yes, why?  Because a there is a marriage record between Martha Hepworth and Richard Hepworth.

Research Plan Notes

Identify wife or wives and children of Thomas Hepworth (the 1841 England Census may list wife and children)
1861 to 1911 England Census
Birth/Marriage/Death and parish records
Historical details of Hill Top Township, Wragby, England
English repositories
Local laws and customs
Search FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com, FindMyPast, and FHL databases for records, wiki information

Reference:
Analyze Genealogy Records Like a Pro: For the Beginner – A blog post by Amie Bowser Tennant of The Genealogy Reporter