Author Topic: Why would someone lie on a marriage certificate?  (Read 22503 times)

Offline Ebor337

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Why would someone lie on a marriage certificate?
« on: Thursday 23 July 09 20:31 BST (UK) »
I'm having a big headache about one of my ancestors.

On his marriage certificate (it is definitely him!), in 1920, he is down as a 22 year old. However, there is no other records of an Albert Ward born in 1898 who lives in York.

HOWEVER, after some research (I have his fathers name and his brothers from the marriage cert) there is a family that follows through on the 1881 - 1911 censuses, but, Albert's DOB on them all is about 1894/95!!! If this is true, great, infact it was save me a HUGE headache, but I am just wondering why the marriage cert DOB is wrong which is giving me such a big headache - i've always taken them to be gospel.

Help!

:)

Offline suzard

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Re: Why would someone lie on a marriage certificate?
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 23 July 09 20:47 BST (UK) »
The truth isn't always told on marriage certs - no proof of age had to be given - also sometimes records are mistranscribed

My grandparents marriage cert shows my grandfather age 30 - he was 36 and the 6 had been mistranscribed as 0 - my grandmother age was shown as 21 - but she fibbed - she was actually 17 - but "upped" her age as she was marrying a man much older than her

Sometimes if the lady was older than the gent she would knock a few years off -all kinds of reasons - and it happens quite often - more often than you would think!

Suz
Thornhill, Cresswell, Sisson, Harriman, Cripps, Eyre, Walter, Marson, Battison, Holmes, Bailey, Hardman, Fairhurst Noon-mainly in Derbys/Notts-but also Northampton, Oxford, Leics, Lancs-England
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Offline imstillstanding

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Re: Why would someone lie on a marriage certificate?
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 23 July 09 20:47 BST (UK) »
The thing I have found doing my tree, is Never take any thing for fact, research, research research, sorry but this a fact

Offline Ebor337

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Re: Why would someone lie on a marriage certificate?
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 23 July 09 21:13 BST (UK) »
Thanks guys,

His wife on the cert is 21 so he maybe knocked off 4 or 5 years to make that look acceptable, although a 26 and 21 year old is hardly that bad, to my 21st century mind?! ???

It's just this is the first time I have come accross a lot hinging on a potentially wrong date like this so a bit nervous!

Thanks again. :-)


Offline Carmela

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Re: Why would someone lie on a marriage certificate?
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 23 July 09 23:40 BST (UK) »
In this case, it was more than likely a mistranscription. The numerals 5 and 8 are sometimes very difficult to distinguish from each other.

Carmela
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Offline casalguidi

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Re: Why would someone lie on a marriage certificate?
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 23 July 09 23:45 BST (UK) »
Personally speaking, if I was unsure I would try and track his death/burial/WW1 service (if any) to see what they say.

Casalguidi :)
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Offline Lolly2881

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Re: Why would someone lie on a marriage certificate?
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 23 July 09 23:48 BST (UK) »
My great grandmother was born Isabell Julia Style which i think is a beautiful name but on her marriage certificate she has informed them the she is called Gertrude Isabella Bates, which was her mothers name.

They didnt have to provide any proof of who they were etc...., and they didnt celebrate birthdays like we do, they forget their age as time goes by, my great granddad used to say he had 2 birthdays a year because he couldnt remember which one was actually his if any.

Lorraine
Yorkshire - Bates
France - Bettambos, Betambeau
London - Betambeau, Croucher, Pittard, Price, Style
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Cornwall - Croucher, Johns, Tippett, Merrifield, Blatchford, Trebilcock, Hocking, Lean, Searl
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Offline dobfarm

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Re: Why would someone lie on a marriage certificate?
« Reply #7 on: Friday 24 July 09 00:27 BST (UK) »
Hi
If you can find Albert on the 1901 census age 3 to 7 with his Mum- That will be his true age. At them ages above  there is mostly likely more accuracy.
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Any transcription of information does not identify or prove anything.
Intended as a Guide only in ancestry research.-It is up to the reader as to any Judgment of assessments of information given! to check from original sources.

In my opinion the marriage residence is not always the place of birth. Never forget Workhouse and overseers accounts records of birth

Offline johngirl

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Re: Why would someone lie on a marriage certificate?
« Reply #8 on: Friday 24 July 09 01:19 BST (UK) »
Hi Ebor337

Yes they do lie. My GG Grandfather and GG Grandmother and Grandfather all lied about their ages when they married even if it was only a year or two difference in their real ages. ;D

  Johngirl
JOHN- Pembrokeshire Wales.  FREEMAN -England?
MEDLICOT -Monmouthshire Wales.
ISAAC -Gloucestershire and Liverpool.[Toxteth Park] SNOW- England .Convict. FRAZER- England.Convict.
DEAL -Ireland .Convict.
KEMP -Saint Mary Cray Kent.Eynsford Wilmington England.Convict.
BLACKBERRY -Whitechapel .Convict. CONDON -alias
DUFFY-Brighton England. Convict.
BANTICK -Ixworth Sussex England. Convict.
JONES England????[George]Convict.
ROSE-England. Convict.
All came to Tas