Different age on census and christening

[GingerVicky]

Hi there,
In the 1881,91 and 1901 census my great great grandmothers birth date was recorded as 1836/37 which I thought was old enough considering she had my great grandmother in 1880. But then I discovered her christening record which is dated 1830 and also her marriage record says her birth date was 1831 and the same in the 1851 census. I think it's more plausible to believe the christening record over the census records but if that's right she would have had her last child aged 50. That seems very old for back then? Does that seem possible?

[Treetotal]

It's not impossible but was there a daughter who could have had an illegitimate child and her Mother passed her off as her own child?
Carol

[GingerVicky]

Thank you for your reply. I didn't think of that. She appears to have had a number of children from 1858 right up to 1880. The one before my great grandmother was born in 1875.
How would I find out if it was her daughter's illegitimate child?
Vicky

[Treetotal]

Have you followed the child through the censuses?... there may be a clue on trees on Ancestry...otherwise you would need to buy the birth certificate. I have one in my tree where the child was stated as being the Daughter, but on a later census she was listed as the Grandaughter.
Carol

[GingerVicky]

Thank you. I have checked all the censues but now you've said that I'll check again closely. Do they have to put the actual parents on the birth certificate or could they lie?

[Treetotal]

You can check the child's Mother's maiden name on the GRO site...info here on the free searches...you will have to sign up first:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=758727.msg6091658#msg6091658

Carol

[GingerVicky]

Thanks for that. I just did that and it came up with a completely different maiden name to what I expected. Now I am confused. Will have to look into it more.

[Treetotal]

I think you might want to consider that the child was taken in and brought up as their own...I have known this happen where a relative's child lost their Mother.
Carol

[GingerVicky]

I looked up her siblings and 4 others have the same mother's maiden name. They were all born in London but the elder 2 who were born in Yorkshire have another name completely. Not sure what to think!