Age on Death Certs

[stonechat]

My gt grandmother reduced a few years from her age during her second marriage.
If he had give age at death, it would presumably been wrong.
Is somoen is a lodger or staying with e.g. nieces, or such a person reports death, they may have little idea of the real age.

I have two or three times seen people with the same age at 2 successive censuses, so would never be surprised
Bob

[DotBrennan]

I have one woman who lowered her age on the marriage cert by 7 years as her husband to be was 10 years younger than her.

Also another one who on 4 consecutive census returns was aged 39, 39, 45, 47, but it was definitely the same person!!

Don't they make our lives interesting....

Bren

[Ecneps]

I have one woman who lowered her age on the marriage cert by 7 years as her husband to be was 10 years younger than her.

The menfolk do it too.  I take all ages 'with a pinch of salt'!  Have just done the research on a certain chap who was born anytime from 1861 (death cert) to 1873 (marriage cert) - eventually found his birth cert 1864   
Barbara

[LizzieW]

I have a problem finding my g.grandfather, as lots of people will know by now!  On the 1891 census he is 31 but on the 1901 census he is 43.  Now, from the death certificate and family knowledge, I know my g.gran was actually 49 in 1891 when she said she was 42, so why would g.grandad make himself seem even younger than he perhaps was.  Anyone would think that to make the "marriage" if there was one seem more respectable, he would have made himself older to be nearer to g.gran in age. 

If he had been 31 in 1891 he would only have been 24 when my gran was born and his 'wife' 42.  Some undertaking for a young fisherman.  One of the reasons I can't find him is that I have no idea of even his year of birth.

Liz

[Sueh2]

Well I think I'll just go for it and order a couple of certs. I do think that as people got old they added on years and were perceived as "very old" so when it came to registering deaths the age given to the registrar was a best guess. Also old people can get muddled and not know themselves their true age.

These days we are so much more aware of the ages of our elderly relatives because it has become the fashion to celebrate in style milestone birthdays ie 70, 80,90, but our ancestors I'm sure did not celebrate in quite the same way.

Sue

[yn9man]

Just a couple of brief points ...

The informant on the death certificate may or may not have know the correct or accurate information about the deceased individual. The individual who wrote up the death cert may have "mis heard" or just wrote down the wrong information.

Ages were not that important. I have several relatives who got younger in later census years.

yn9man

[Ecneps]

I have several relatives who got younger in later census years.
yn9man

What a pity we can't get away with it now, too many people know our real ages 

Bar

[yn9man]

What a pity we can't get away with it now, too many people know our real ages

Bar

Age is only a state of mine .... as long as you have your mind you can be whatever age you choose....  

yn9man

[Ecneps]

Oh,  I'm still 18 on the inside, have been for a few years now