Could hexham of been classed as scotland in 1871?

Question

im researching my family tree and i have found on one census the same person is said to be born in hexham northumberland and on another census born in scotland might be two different people but everything else matches

Answer 1

Not in 1871, it could not have been. By that time the borders between England and Scotland had long been fixed. However Hexham, being in the south of Northumberland, had never been in Scotland. The only place that did change was Berwick, far to the north east of Hexham, which changed between the two countried something like 15 times. So the persons on the two census's are not the same - unless the enumerator was ignorant and thought everything north of York was 'Scotland', or didn't like to ask where Hexham was.Or, indeed, was so confused by the broad Nothumberian dialect of the respondent that he thought it was a Scots accent. I take it you are talking two different census's? If it's both the same year then the people definately won't be the same.

It might be worth reposting your question on the genealogy board - people there might know if census enumerators were in the habit of mistaking people from the far north of England as Scottish

Answer 2

Yes Hexham was origininally classified in Scotland. Many, Many years ago. Also so was Berwick in Northumbria. County borders have changed many times.