RootsChat.Com

The recently added death records from 1984 onwards do not show the age at death (as the earlier records) but show the year of birth instead.

I found an error in the YOB for my mother’s cousin who died in 2014.  This is shown as 1917 when she was in fact born in 1935 – correct in the GRO birth records and in my own family’s records.

I reported this as an error to GRO which they have investigated.  The status is “No amendment required” and the comments state “Indexed data not available”.

I suppose it’s possible that her birth was wrongly recorded when the death was registered although she was living with her older sister (b 1921), who would certainly have known the right YOB. 

I’ve never had a problem in correcting earlier GRO records but this response has stumped me.  Has anyone else come across anything similar with the later death records and/or know why the indexed data is not available?

I’m trying to find out whether Mary Buckingham, daughter of John and Ann (nee Whiting), baptised in 1795 in Iffley (OFHS search), was married to a Benjamin Johnson.

There are 1841, 1851 and 1861 census records of a Benjamin and Mary Johnson in Iffley and the death of Mary Johnson in Headington RD in 1866 with a calculated birth year of 1798.

The 1841 census shows seven children, five born prior to 1837 therefore no civil record at GRO although I have found baptism records at Marsh Baldon.  For the other two, Thomas, age 4, has a calculated birth year of 1837 (so could be 1836) and Ellen, age 18 months, would have been born in 1840 or the very end of 1839.

I’ve searched the GRO birth records and cannot find a record for either Thomas or Ellen in Abingdon (Marsh Baldon) or Headington (Iffley) so cannot find their MMN that way.

I have found baptism records in 1817, 1822 (Marsh Baldon) and 1835 (Cowley) for three further children not on any of the census records but again too early for GRO records.  However this does help narrow down an approximate marriage window to between 1811 (Mary age 16) and 1817 (child’s baptism record).

I’d appreciate any help in tracking down whether Benjamin Johnson was the husband of Mary Buckingham.

I’m trying find a baptism record for Mary Ann Brill born in Reading (St Mary), age given as 11 on the 1841 census, so birth year probably 1829/30.  Parents are Charles, a labourer, and Mary Brill.

Mary Ann is on the 1851 census, age given 21, so again birth year probably 1829/30, working as a servant in Reading St Mary.  She marries Isaac Mander in February 1859 at St Michael, Coventry when her age is recorded as 27, ie birth year 1832.  I believe this is the “right” Brill as her father’s name is shown as Charles Brill.

She appears on the 1861 census in Marton, Warwickshire, as age 28, birth year 1833, birthplace Reading, Berkshire.  In 1871 she appears as just Mary (no Ann), is age 37, birth year 1834, and in 1881, again just Mary she is age 47, birth year again 1834. 

She dies in 1882, registered at Warwick RD in Q3, where her age at death is given as 50, so birth year 1831/32.  There is also a burial record for her at Marton for September 1882.

There is a surfeit of Marys/Mary Anns/Mariannes in this family (and a pretty good run of Jameses) so I’d like to pin down this one’s birth, if only to help avoid confusion.

Any input gratefully received.

I’m going round in circles trying to find a birth record for Rhoda White, wife of William Henry White.  I believe they married on 9 April 1866 at St Andrews Leeds, registered at Leeds RD page 483, vol 9B; William Henry White to Roadia White (spelling as shown in the index).  Yes, they both have the same surname.

I can find Rhoda on the 1851 census in Methley, Pontefract RD, the 6th of 7 children of George and Elizabeth White, age 5, so born ~1846, in Methley.  I have found baptism and/or birth registration records for the first five children but cannot find any trace of Rhoda or her younger brother Robert, age 1, so born ~1850, also in Methley.  I cannot find an 1861 census for George and Elizabeth but in 1871 there are two further children, Watson, age 18, so born ~1853 and Emily, age 15, so born ~1856, both in Methley.  I cannot find birth records for these two children either.

On the 1871 census, the first after their marriage, William Henry’s age is given as 22, so born ~1849 and Rhoda’s as 21, so born ~1850.  This would make them aged 17 and 16 respectively when they married – not impossible but unlikely.  Also I have a baptism record for William Henry dated 21 September 1845 in Penistone, which makes him age 20 when he married and 26 when the census was taken.  If Rhoda is a year younger than him then her birth year is around 1846, which ties in with the 1851 census.

On other censuses Rhoda is shown as: age 13 in 1861 (b~1848), age 30 in 1881 (b~1850) and age 42 in 1891 (b~1849). 

William Henry dies in 1889 with an age at death of 44, which ties up with his baptism date of 1845.  Rhoda remarries in 1897 to a George Graham and is shown as age 50 in 1901 (b~1851) and age 54 (b~1854) in 1911.

Her death is registered in Q4 1934 with her age at death given as 81 (b~1853).

There are 11 Rhoda births registered in Pontefract RD between 1845 and 1855 and she isn’t any of them. Three have died by the time of the next census date and the other 8 are shown with their families.

George and Elizabeth have four children –  Rhoda, Robert, Watson and Emily – for whom birth records with the surname White appear to be missing.  Their older siblings all have their births recorded, so why not these four? 

Any suggestions where/what I try next gratefully received.