What information would you trust?

[kjmck]

Hi Everyone,

I have an ancestry with whom I have hit a brick wall, despite having a fair amount of information on him. But I also have varying information.

In 1841 on the Isle of Coll he is listed as being 60 years old. In 1851 also at Coll he is listed as being 75 years old. On his death record in 1857, his son registers his age as 90 years old. On a Chelsea Pensioner record I have for a possible match of a John McKenzie born in 'Tyrie', in 1814, he is 42, and the other possible Chelsea Pensioner record I have for a John McKenzie born in 'Tobermorra', also in 1814, he is 41.

On his Death record his son Donald lists John's parents as John & Peggy MacKenzie.

So I have possible birth years of 1781, 1776, 1767, 1772, & 1773.

What information would you be more likely to put your trust in?

Keelan

[Guy Etchells]

None, I would want to get at least three separate sources providing the same information to be reasonably confident.
Cheers
Guy

[Forfarian]

What information would you be more likely to put your trust in?

Only original documents; no transcriptions, no index entries, and definitely no online family trees.

[JenB]

In 1841 on the Isle of Coll he is listed as being 60 years old.

Bear in mind that in the 1841 census ages were 'rounded down' to the nearest 5 years. So someone entered with the age 60 could in fact have been anything up to 64 years old, which brings him more in line with the age on the 1851 census.

[kjmck]

I wish I could get that but all sources I can find for him give varying ages.

The only info I have for sure that appears at least twice or more, is the fact that he was born in Tiree & Coll, Argyll. And that he was in the 6th Royal Veterans Battallion at the time of his marriage in 1805, and that he left the military between 1813 & 1815, when he relocated with his family to the Isle of Coll. And that he was a Chelsea Pensioner.

Perhaps a dead end is just that sometimes, a dead end.

Keelan

[kjmck]

In 1841 on the Isle of Coll he is listed as being 60 years old.

Bear in mind that in the 1841 census ages were 'rounded down' to the nearest 5 years. So someone entered with the age 60 could in fact have been anything up to 64 years old, which brings him more in line with the age on the 1851 census.

Looking at the original 1841 Census - John is listed as 60, and his wife Betty as 55. And then looking at the original 1851 Census - John is listed as 75 and Betty as 70. So their ages have both increased by 15 years. Other information like occupation & places of birth remained the same in both Census'. Betty died in 1860, her age was given by her daughter Margaret as 74.

Looking at their children - They had a son called John, who was born Nov/Dec 1812 in Ardersier. In 1841 he is '20' so a birth year of 1821, and then in 1851 he is 37 - a birth year of 1814, but his birthplace is given as Tyree & Coll. A daughter, Catherine, was born in 1828. In 1841 she is 13 so a birth year of 1828, and in 1851 she is listed as 21, a birth year of 1830.

Seems my family couldn't keep track of their ages.

 

[GR2]

Depending on when his birthday fell, the age on the 1841 census could mean he was born 1776 - 1781. The 1851 census gives a birth year of 1775 - 1776. The age on the death certificate is quite a bit out compared with the censuses and is perhaps more suspect. It sounds as if it just means "very old".

As you know he was a Chelsea pensioner, his discharge papers should survive and give his age. You say he left the army between 1813 and 1815. His discharge papers will give you an exact date. He may have served in more than one regiment. Do the birthplaces of his children give a clue to where he served?

[Forfarian]

In 1841 on the Isle of Coll he is listed as being 60 years old.

In the 1841 census, adults' ages were suposed to be rounded down to the nearest 5 years. So someone listed as aged 60 could have been anything from 60 to 64, and assuming that his ager is accurate he would therefore have been born between 8 June 1776 and 7 June 1781.

In 1851 also at Coll he is listed as being 75 years old.

If accurate that would imply a birth between 31 March 1775 and 30 March 1776.

As these two sets of dates do not overlap, at least one of them is definitely wrong.

On his death record in 1857, his son registers his age as 90 years old.

That, if accurate, would imply a birth in 1766 or 1767.

On a Chelsea Pensioner record I have for a possible match of a John McKenzie born in 'Tyrie'

Be aware that Tyrie is a parish in Aberdeenshire as well as an alternative spelling for the Hebridean island of Tiree, next to the isle of Coll.

in 1814, he is 42

If accurate, implying a birth in 1771 or 1772

and the other possible Chelsea Pensioner record I have for a John McKenzie born in 'Tobermorra', also in 1814, he is 41.

If accurate, implying a birth in 1772 or 1773.

If he is the 75-year-old John McKenzie, Chelsea Pensioner, at Arinagour with wife Betsey, son John, daughter-in-law Annabella and daughter Catharine, the transcription I am looking at says  that he was born in the parish of Canongate in the county of Midlothian. The census index at FamilySearch says he was born in Edinburgh. Canongate parish is in the city of Edinburgh. What does the original census say?

On the other hand the 1851 census says that Betsey, John jr and Catherine were born in Argyll, but the 1841 says that John Sr was born in Argyll, but Betty and John Jr were not. Also there seem to be two 60-year-old John McKenzies, both army pensioners, living in Arinagour in 1841.

On his Death record his son Donald lists John's parents as John & Peggy MacKenzie.

Peggy is a pet name for Margaret. Does it say "Peggy McKenzie MS McKenzie" and if not, what exactly does it say?

[GR2]

The birth in Ardersier suggests he was stationed at Fort George then.