I have a conundrum as to whether I've got the right ancestor or whether someone's age was misread, misunderstood or fabricated etc.
In my late parents keepsakes I found a memorial card for 'Dora Church' who died 11/2/1909 and was the wife of Fred Church. What struck me was 'aged 54 years' suggesting she was born in 1854 or 1855 as this contradicted what I thought I'd discovered previously in the belief she was my maternal great grandmother (through her daughter Edith Beatrice Purvess and my mother Rhoda Clements).
It seems Dora had married Fred Church in 3Q of 1900 following the death of her husband Henry Purvess earlier that year.
In the 1901 Census (listed as 'Dorathy) she lived with Fred and his children at 7 Gas Works Cottages, South Bank, Middlesbrough along with some of her children from a previous marriage : Frederick , James, Emily, and Ethel Purvess. Dorathy's age is listed as 46 which fits the age in the memorial card
In the 1891 Census I believe she was the Dorothea Purvis listed as living at 19 Tees Street, North Ormesby, Middlesbrough with Henry Purvis and the 4 aforementioned children plus her 2 other children John and Edith Beatrice. However Dorothea is listed as age 43 which would fit with the Dorathea Lancaster (b. 1847 in Kirklington, Yorkshire) who married Henry Purvess on 11/2/1871 in Stockton, Co. Durham but doesn't square with the age of the Dora Church who died in 1909.
I assume Dorathea Lancaster is the same person as Dorothy Lancaster daughter of Robert and Ann Lancaster baptised 2/1/1848 in Kirklington, Yorkshire
In the 1881 Census Dorathea Purvess is at 56 James(?) Street, North Ormesby, Middlesbrough with husband Henry Purvess and her first 6 children (Margaret, Mary, Joseph, John, Frederick and James) and her age is stated as 33 which again fits in with the age in the 1891 Census as someone born in 1847.
Is Dora/Dorathea/Dorothea//Dorathy/Dorothy the same person throughout who happened to have had her age changed either accidentally or deliberately or have I gone wrong somewhere?
