John was "not at home" during the 1871-1911 censuses ...

Have you ever had the problem of tracking down  a relative and find that they were not living at home on census night? I just came across an extreme example.

The Cedars, Chorley Wood by E S Brown, Rickmansworth

Rickmansworth

Having acquired a post card of "The Cedars," Chorleywood, near Rickmansworth, I decided to post a page giving the background to the post card. I discovered that in October 1861 a banker (and later MP) called John Saunders Gilliat purchased the Chorleywood Estate, pulled down the old mansion, and built a grand new house called The Cedars. He lived there until his death in 1912. The search for information was not helped by his mobility. He and his family were not in residence in 1871 -w hen he was living in a London house. They were visiting relatives in 1881 and 1891 and in 1901 and 1911 he was living at his London address, 18 Princes Gate, London.

More information.