How reliable are peoples ages at death from GRO / on Gravestones.

[carol8353]

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

February only has 28 days ,29 every 4 years,but never 31 

[groom]

All information is prone to errors for example on a gravestone "February 31st 1898"
http://anguline.co.uk/cert/stone.html

I can see why that may have happened.

Q: When did she die?
A. Last day in February.

The stone mason obviously didn't know the rhyme did he?  Unless of course it is the month that is wrong and it should have been January.

[BushInn1746]

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.

Hi Karen

Have you tried to trace the Baptist Burial Register, perhaps it survives in a nearby Archive, or University Archive or still with the Baptists and perhaps there is an extra snippet of information in the Register, that would clinch it!

Couldn't find an 1845 Burial of my Selby Ancestor. Numerous Parish Church Burial Registers were searched on films. Five Private Cemetery Company Registers and other Nonconformists Burial Grounds searched (not online), nothing matched.

The named Arbitrator / Umpire in the Will (a Quaker) and my ancestor's property records indicated that some other parties involved in property transfers had the same names as local Quakers.

After several enquiries the Quakers had buried him right under my nose at Selby, as "Not in Membership" in their burial ground! The Selby Quaker Burial Registers (1845 images NOT online) were tucked away in a 50,000 plus - Registers, Volumes and items etc. - Quaker Collection Deposit at Leeds University Special Collections.

Eventually the Burial Register entry and others were traced and I've had colour images of all the family that the Quakers buried at Selby, all stated as "Not in Membership", except William who later converted to Quakerism.

It was great to bring a conclusion to the burial mystery and see the record images, but in this case no record gave any clue as to who my mystery ancestor (George Hood) was.

A later visit to see the York Quaker Records and the Monthly Meeting Minutes, indicated my ancestor had tried to join the Quakers 1836, but had been refused.

The search goes on.

Happy hunting, Mark

[K Bowden]

Thanks for all your help, it turned out the error was with me!  I had worked out her age from the census, then had got that mixed up with GRO. Lesson learnt - check check and check again
Karen

[iluleah]

Date of birth is secondary information on gravestones and death certs, only what someone thought they knew or were told....... so can never be trusted as factual, the primary information on a death cert is place, reason, date of death.

Two examples:
My x2 great grandmothers date of birth varies on EVERY record, she made herself older  than she really was adding a couple of years to her age each record she generated...maybe because she married a much older man. I have assessed her age based on her baptism date ( parents baptised their other children within the week they were born) and the first census she was on as a child with them ( +/- 1yrs potential difference)

My great grandfathers death cert states a full name ( he was known by) but he was born with a totally different first/surname. His and his 'wifes' grave stone states the same name/date but he is not buried there he is buried 3 miles away with his second wife..... and both marriage certs he says his father is a different man, first his grandfather and second one his Uncle, neither are his father and he knew who he was ( and he was alive when he married both times)

[emeltom]

Why do families have to be so complicated? It's almost as though they knew we would come searching for them so decided to make things as difficult as possible.

Emeltom

[Finley 1]

My great grandfathers death cert states a full name ( he was known by) but he was born with a totally different first/surname. His and his 'wifes' grave stone states the same name/date but he is not buried there he is buried 3 miles away with his second wife..... and both marriage certs he says his father is a different man, first his grandfather and second one his Uncle, neither are his father and he knew who he was ( and he was alive when he married both times)

and I think mine are a crazy mixed up bunch

xin

[iluleah]

My great grandfathers death cert states a full name ( he was known by) but he was born with a totally different first/surname. His and his 'wifes' grave stone states the same name/date but he is not buried there he is buried 3 miles away with his second wife..... and both marriage certs he says his father is a different man, first his grandfather and second one his Uncle, neither are his father and he knew who he was ( and he was alive when he married both times)

and I think mine are a crazy mixed up bunch

xin

  ......... and no wonder we are so off the wall, must be because of our ancestors

[Finley 1]

humpty dumpty mk 2  thats me


xin