Find Ancestors

I'm having problems locating my great great grandma Charlotte Morris ( nee Bowcock in 1855), and must have died somewhere in or around Manchester between 1901 and 1920.
I've searched all the death records but only turned up one possible match, in 1910, but the age is given as 50 and she should be 54 or 55.

Is it possible for them to get the age wrong? Is it possible that someone accompanying a dead person to hospital or the morgue might not know the exact age of the person they are taking and give the authorities the wrong age? In my case, is it possible that the person who accompanied my great great gran could have said " she's 50" thinking she is about 50 years old, but not knowing exactly, and would they take this as proof of her age?

Or am I living in cloud cuckoo land? :-)

Do you want us to check her family on the 1911 census to see if she is still alive?

And, yes, they can get the date wrong.

is this her on 1901 census?

Address: 202, Radcliffe Street, Oldham

Name Relation Condition Sex Age Birth Year Occupation Disability Where Born

BUCKNALL, John Head Widower M 63 1838 Skip Maker Wirksworth Derbyshire
BUCKNALL, Frank Son Single M 27 1874 Textile Machine Fitter Oldham Lancashire
MORRIS, Charlotte Servant Widow F 46 1855 Housekeeper (Domestic) Gedney Lincolnshire

If you mean this death in 1909:
Deaths Mar 1909
MORRIS Charlotte 50 Prestwich 8d 342
she is 24 in the 1881 census, and 47 in the 1901 census
so some dispute over age.
Have you actually checked the image to see if it is not 50 but possibly mis-transcribed through various reasons? (Sorry, I cannot read it at the moment as something is playing up and I have a mirror image of the page)

I was assuming this family:
1901 England Census
William Hy Morris
Age: 48 Estimated birth year: abt 1853 Relation: Head Spouse's name: Charlotte Morris Gender: Male Where born: Salford, Lancashire, England Civil Parish: North Manchester
Ecclesiastical parish: Beswick and Bradford Christchurch
County/Island: Lancashire Country: England
Registration district: Prestwich Sub-registration district: Newton ED, institution, or vessel: 33 Household schedule number: 41

William Hy Morris 48
Charlotte Morris 47
James Morris 16 Openshaw
Hannah Morris 12 Openshaw
John Morris 6 Bradford

Source Citation: Class: RG13; Piece: 3762; Folio: 8; Page: 7.

it is definitely age 50 on the index

but as you say the age given is only as good as the informant knows
for extra info see

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards.page/board/records_office/thread/1256826

" If you mean this death in 1909:
Deaths Mar 1909
MORRIS Charlotte 50 Prestwich 8d 342
she is 24 in the 1881 census, and 47 in the 1901 census
so some dispute over age.
Have you actually checked the image to see if it is not 50 but possibly mis-transcribed through various reasons? (Sorry, I cannot read it at the moment as something is playing up and I have a mirror image of the page) "

Yes Patchem thanks I do mean the one above.

And yes the 1901 census entry two posts up from this is the correct one for her.

However Charlotte does not appear on the 1891 census, but does on the 1881 census , and it seems they have had several chidlren by 1901, some of whom have left home and married, some who have died.

I'm a bit shocked that official death records might be based on the mistaken information of an informant who might not even know the woman.

Thanks all.

Sue C, thank you, the age is right on that for Charlotte, even if the place is unfamilar ground for our family, is it possible to have a maiden name for her for this marriage?

It can't be the same Charlotte who William Henry was married to in the 1881 census, ( I'm thinking) because she was born in Manchester not Lincolnshire..

Thanks again.

Joe,Could this possibly be Charlotte in 1891?

If so, I am afraid she was a prisoner.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MORRIS, Charlot Married F 36 1855
Born Manchester
Lancashire

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RG number:
RG12 Piece:
3266 Folio:
75 Page:
32

Registration District:
Prestwich Sub District:
Cheetham Enumeration District:
17 Ecclesiastical Parish:
St Albans

Civil Parish:
Cheetham Municipal Borough:
Manchester Address:
Cheetham, Manchester County:
Lancashire

Joe,
I do not know how old you are, but my children do not know where I was born, because they are not particularly interested. My sons frequently forget my birthday(date and year). I was convinced for years of my Mother's birth year, but was 1 year out (not the same year as the Queen, but a year older). Birth certificates get misplaced. So, if you are asked for details you might be correct, but you could easily be wrong.
Pat

Ancestry has her down as Charles (!) in 1891, prison

The age on a death cert is only as good as the informants knowledge.
Had i registered my mums death I would have been a year out cos she always said she was born a different year to protect nans name who was pregnant when she married !! Luckily it was my elder sister who did the arrangements and I only knew the truth when I queried her age on the coffin plaque.

Any declaration only says you sign to say the info is true as far as you know!

In the days when people couldnt read or write the ages were all over the place as they couldnt count either !!

Shirley that's fascinating stuff, in a way I'm relieved as human errror means we've always a chance of being right was well as wrong.
Many of my ancestors in the old ceriticates signed a cross as their mark because they couldn't write, so it makes sense they might not have been the greatest counters in the world, especially as at that time their parents and grandparents were too busy surviving and bringing up handfuls of kids, to always remember dates accurately. My Mum even gets my name wrong sometimes and mixes me up with my brothers.

So, my best bet so far is Charlotte morris aged 50 in Prestwich. in 1909.


Oh my God Sue C.

Does it say which prison and why?

Is that an entry i can access somehow from my Genes reunited.com account?

Prison? Oh my god. My Mum will be mortified.

Patchem, you're right, we can't trust family's memories! ;-)

1891 census - household transcription
Person: MORRIS, Charlot
Institution: Strangeways Prison, Southall Street Cheetham

Name Relation Condition Sex Age Birth Year Occupation Disability Where Born

MORRIS, Charlot Married F 36 1855 Manchester Lancashire

http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/448/archives_and_local_studies/3808/court_and_prison_records/8

http://www.genesreunited.com/boards.page/board/records_office/thread/1256826?page=1

Some duplication of information.

Thanks for that link Tempest but as far as I can see those online prison records only go as far as 1879.?

How did you find her in 1891?

Thanks

oh sorry, i see it was a census report.

But I didn't stumble across that entry in Genes Reunited,

Where did you find it? Thanks!

I found the 1891 census on findmypast