Genealogy Chat

I am trying to find the correct date of birth for my Gr.Gr. Grandmother. On her headstone and death certificate her age is given as 84 making her date of birth 1778. On all census from 1841-1861 her date of birth is given as 1795.
I have looked at the Parish Records for where she says that she was born but cannot find her name. I have also looked at neighbouring parishes.

If 1778 is the correct date she would have been about forty two when her only daughter was born. She never married.

Do you think that I will never solve this puzzle?

Sheila, I doubt if I can help personally, but I suggest you put her details on here for folks to have a look.
Jan

Peoples ages on early census records should always be taken as a guide rather than as fact as some people "Adjusted" their age or perhaps did not really know when and where they were born. 17 years difference however is quite a gap which I would personally question as being correct.

How confident are you that the gravestone, the death certificate and the census records are all for the same person?

It is worth remembering that whoever gave the information to the registrar and to the monumental mason could only have been able to relay information that they thought was accurate when it may not have been.

Jonesey,

I am confident of the census returns because she always lived with her daughter. She is buried in the same plot as her grandson. I assume that the headstone was erected after his death because before then they would not be able to afford one.

There is no address on the death certificate and the death was reported by someone who was not a family member. I presume she was a neighbour present at the death.

The ages on the death certificate and headstone agree.

Sheila

Sheila,

As the death was registered by a non family member and as the headstone engraving appears to have been commissioned long after her death I would be more inclined to believe the birth c1795 as indicated on the census returns.

As you said earlier that date was consistent on the returns. I would also think that there was a greater probability of an unmarried woman having her only child at the age of about 25 rather than at 42 years old.