1841 census - rounding down of ages

[kerryb]

I don't know whether people might find this useful to know but I have just read something about the 1841 census that explains a lot!

I know that people over 15 had their age rounded down to the nearest 5 years so someone who was 23 would be put as 20 but did you know that people over 70 had their age rounded down to the nearest 10 years??

No I didn't know that either but it explains a lot!

Kerry

[Sisterjane]

Hi Kerry

No I didn't know that either but it explains a lot!
 

Sure does explain a lot because on Thursday I was doing a 41 look up for someone and everything pointed to the chap I found but the 10 years age difference threw me yet i was convinced it was him.
Think I will go back and see if i can find who it was for and explain it to them.

Thanks for that info Kerry

Joe

[kerryb]

See I knew it would help someone

Kerry

[Shropshire Lass]

I didn't know either.

What administrative clot thought that rounding down ages at all would be a good idea, let alone doing it two different ways for different ages?

Monica

[Leofric]

Kerry,

Thanks for that info - I've never heard of it before. I reckon the rules must have produced a deal of confusion for the enumerators!

I have an Edward Edwards in Coventry in the 1841 shown as 50 (his wife also) whilst on the 1851 their ages have jumped to 70+. There is no doubt about the identity - they are living at the same address.

So now I may know why. But I'm left with another conundrum - if the latter ages are correct the wife gave birth to her last child at the age of 47 - which is rather unlikely. Some mysteries will never be solved!

regards
Leofric

[Necromancer]

dont forget that the data was primarily for statistical analysis - not FH !

[trish251]

So now I may know why. But I'm left with another conundrum - if the latter ages are correct the wife gave birth to her last child at the age of 47 - which is rather unlikely. Some mysteries will never be solved!

It is still quite possible - The mother of a friend  had same in the 1960s (without any medical assistance as may happen today). It is also worth checking also if perhaps the child belonged to an older daughter.

Trish

[stanmapstone]

I don't know whether people might find this useful to know but I have just read something about the 1841 census that explains a lot!

I know that people over 15 had their age rounded down to the nearest 5 years so someone who was 23 would be put as 20 but did you know that people over 70 had their age rounded down to the nearest 10 years??

No I didn't know that either but it explains a lot!

Kerry

I know it is a long time  but that is not correct. In the instructions to the enumerator for the 1841 census ( http://www.rootschat.com/links/0e2l/ ) were that the ages had to be shown to the nearest 5 years upto the greatest ages. e.g. 70 years and under 75 write 70; 75 years and under 80 write 75 and so on.
What is the source for this?

Stan

[coombs]

I don't know whether people might find this useful to know but I have just read something about the 1841 census that explains a lot!

I know that people over 15 had their age rounded down to the nearest 5 years so someone who was 23 would be put as 20 but did you know that people over 70 had their age rounded down to the nearest 10 years??

No I didn't know that either but it explains a lot!

Kerry

Not sure I agree with that. I have found a lot of people over 70 with their exact ages given and many who were 75 in the census, perhaps an exact age or rounded down.