Author Topic: How reliable are peoples ages at death from GRO / on Gravestones.  (Read 3309 times)

Offline K Bowden

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How reliable are peoples ages at death from GRO / on Gravestones.
« on: Saturday 21 July 18 19:53 BST (UK) »
Hi

I have a relative - Harriet / Harriot Buswell who died 1n 1850 aged 27 , registered in the Brixworth District, according to the GRO.  However I have also found a grave stone for her in the Baptist Cemetery in Clipston, which says she is 29 years old.

The reason I think this may be the one and the same person is that I have found a marriage registration for her to Edward Buswell, (they both have the same surname, as I checked on the GRO's mothers maiden name for their 3 children) he was born in Clipston. She died just after the birth of her third child, and her husband remarried several years later - thereby perhaps being buried with her parents?

(She married Edward in 1845, registered in Market Harborough)

I found an 1841 census record for a Harriet Buswell with George Rowlson, Alice Rowlson and a Henry Buswell.  Further searching on Alice Rowlson on the 1851 census identified her as the aunt of Henry Buswell, so perhaps she is the sister or aunt of Harriet. Both Henry and Alice were born in Clipston.

So I am wondering if I have found the names of Harriet's parents - or is there any easier way to do this?

many thanks
Karen


Offline davidft

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Re: How reliable are peoples ages at death from GRO / on Gravestones.
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 21 July 18 19:58 BST (UK) »
Ages on the GRO / gravestones are only as good as the person giving the information which in some cases is not very accurate at all.
James Stott c1775-1850. James was born in Yorkshire but where? He was a stonemason and married Elizabeth Archer (nee Nicholson) in 1794 at Ripon. They lived thereafter in Masham. If anyone has any suggestions or leads as to his birthplace I would be interested to know. I have searched for it for years without success. Thank you.

Online emeltom

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Re: How reliable are peoples ages at death from GRO / on Gravestones.
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 21 July 18 20:01 BST (UK) »
The ages on death certs and grave stones are only as good as the knowledge of the person giving the information. Back in the day a lot of people could not read or write and I would imagine that any numerical skills were limited as well so how certain were people about their age.

When searching for someone using a year of birth I always search at least two years either side if not five. Without a birth certificate giving a date of registration/birth it is impossible to believe that what you read is correct.

Emeltom
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Offline K Bowden

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Re: How reliable are peoples ages at death from GRO / on Gravestones.
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 21 July 18 22:33 BST (UK) »
Thanks, pretty obvious if I had thought about it :D



Offline carol8353

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Re: How reliable are peoples ages at death from GRO / on Gravestones.
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 21 July 18 23:14 BST (UK) »
If Harriet's name was added to a family grave some time later,then her age may have become a bit mixed up.
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Offline Rosinish

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Re: How reliable are peoples ages at death from GRO / on Gravestones.
« Reply #5 on: Sunday 22 July 18 03:09 BST (UK) »
I have a member of my family in more recent times who were all literate & the date of death on the MI was inscribed wrongly (out by a yr) i.e. errors do occur but whether the info. given was wrong at the time, I don't know?

In times of grief etc. it's very easy to err (I did it myself on an occasion)!!

When my uncle passed away in Canada (although born in Scotland), I dealt with the dates from our Scottish records as his DoB was out on Canadian Records i.e. I had to confirm the 'actual' birth date but as time was of the essence & myself in grief, I had paid for the cert. (debit by phone) as I needed the info. then given over the phone & the date his birth was registered was what I'd given to my Canadian relative as I didn't have the cert. in front of me.

The details were for my Canadian relative for an obituary & it was only after I received the cert. which was after the obituary etc. was done, I realised the error!

This was in 2004!

Annie
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Offline Guy Etchells

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Re: How reliable are peoples ages at death from GRO / on Gravestones.
« Reply #6 on: Sunday 22 July 18 07:02 BST (UK) »
All information is prone to errors for example on a gravestone "February 31st 1898"
http://anguline.co.uk/cert/stone.html

Or on a copy marriage certificate, maiden name Imy rather than Guy even though the register entry is clear.
http://anguline.co.uk/cert/marr_cert.html

Mistakes happen in all walks of life
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Offline Rosinish

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Re: How reliable are peoples ages at death from GRO / on Gravestones.
« Reply #7 on: Monday 23 July 18 00:53 BST (UK) »
All information is prone to errors for example on a gravestone "February 31st 1898"
http://anguline.co.uk/cert/stone.html

Or on a copy marriage certificate, maiden name Imy rather than Guy even though the register entry is clear.
http://anguline.co.uk/cert/marr_cert.html

Mistakes happen in all walks of life

Guy, sorry I didn't pick up on the 1st example "February 31st 1898" (not sure what the error was/is)?

Although I did find the marriage one to be a strange error.

Annie
South Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland:- Bowie, Campbell, Cumming, Currie

Ireland:- Cullen, Flannigan (Derry), Donahoe/Donaghue (variants) (Cork), McCrate (Tipperary), Mellon, Tol(l)and (Donegal & Tyrone)

Newcastle-on-Tyne/Durham (Northumberland):- Harrison, Jude, Kemp, Lunn, Mellon, Robson, Stirling

Kettering, Northampton:- MacKinnon

Canada:- Callaghan, Cumming, MacPhee

"OLD GENEALOGISTS NEVER DIE - THEY JUST LOSE THEIR CENSUS"

Offline Keitht

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Re: How reliable are peoples ages at death from GRO / on Gravestones.
« Reply #8 on: Monday 23 July 18 01:09 BST (UK) »
On visiting my grandfather's grave for the first time since childhood I noticed that his age at death was given as 60. Not until I had driven half way home did my brain start to register that something was wrong. He had been born in 1866 and died in 1935. I'll leave you to do the arithmatic.

What has puzzled me ever since was that none of his children picked up the error at the time the stone was commissioned. The youngest was in her thirties by then.

Keith