Ages on Cenus'

[Sooziecats]

I know from experience that ages recorded on Census checks can be quite a few years out.  The problem I have at the moment is that one possible ancestor is recorded as being 40 this could be as much as 10 years too old.  Is this possible or am I (again) barking up the wrong tree?!

Cheers
Sue B

[JenClark]

Hi Sue B,

Which census is it? Cause the 1841 census they rounded it up or down so could possibly be a ways out. If it is an later census then possibly it is a transcriber error??

I have seen several census returns where the age in the transciption is quite obviously wrong (to me any but I know what I am looking for  ) Can you look at the actual page for yourself?

Hope that helps some what, of course there is another possiblility it might be the wrong person!

Good luck 

Jenny

[Sooziecats]

It is on the 1841 census, I have looked at the page myself and it is fairly clear that the age is 40, all the names fit in with our family, it is just the age that could be anywhere between 9 and 11 years out.

Thanks for your help
Sue B

[JenClark]

Hi Sue B,

If it is the 1841 census there are heaps of mistakes in it 

I have some people who are quite obviously the right people but the age is out, in all other census' returns correct though, are the other people's ages correct (remembering the rounding)?

If so I reckon that it is probably the right family if they are in the right area and the names all match 

What is the surname? Is it common?

Jenny

[Sooziecats]

Thanks for getting back so quick.

The surname is Wanklyn, so not too common although there are alot of them in Hereofrdshire. 
Source H0107-0431
Folio - 13/3
Page 1

Cheers sue

[MaryA]

Hi

Another thing to remember is the literacy or rather illiteracy of people.  The head of the house may well have known how old he was, but did his wife know? and who was at home when the enumerator called? 

And a last point - it might be the right family, but could there be a second marriage with the first husband/wife having the same name as the first and so a contradictory age appears.

Sorry to put a spanner in the wheel, but mostly I would expect the first reason to be the answer.

Mary

[JenClark]

I agree with Mary, illiteracy was a big issue, and I have also had the second explanation happen in my family as well 

It can happen with names like Sarah or Ann or something common where a wife dies inbetween census and the fellow marries a lady with the same name, just to confuse us on the next census - often picked up in later census because of the extra information like place of birth etc

Wanklyn sounds pretty uncommon to me, I reckon it is the right family but I perhaps we will never know 

Jenny