Tracing Ancestry

[Karateman]

Doing some ancestry research on mine, and my wifes families and so far got a lot of information, some going back to the late 18th cent.

My biggest problem is conflicting information reference birth dates and the like.
For example, the wifes grandad, a Joseph Mcintyre. I have found his family in the 1891 census where it says Joseph Mcintyre was 2 yrs old born in Horwich Bolton. So, I thinks to myself he was born in 1889 or 1888 perhaps. I then look for his birth record. Nothing for 1888 or 1889, but I find one Joseph Mcintyre's birth record in Bolton in 1887. So I think he should have been 3 or 4 on the census. Anyway I then try and trace his marriage to her grandma and find he was married in 1906. I sent for a copy of the marriage certiificate and low and behold it says he is 21 yrs old, suggesting he was born in 1885 or 1884 maybe, but again no birth records for those years.

So, 1891 census says he was 2 and born in Bolton, suggesting he was born in 1888/9 (definitely correct family)

Birth records say he was born in 1887 (Only Birth in Bolton in 1887 +/- 5 yrs)

and his wedding certificate suggests he was born in 1884/5 (definitely correct wedding certificate)

Any ideas why such conflicting info and how I could nail the correct date other than maybe order a birth certificate for another £10

Phil

[Rowlf]

I have done family history too and find that ages do not always tally. People then did not always know how old they were. As for the marriage certificate sometimes it will give the exact age and sometimes when it gives '21' it means they were over that age.
On some it only says 'Full age' again meaning over 21 which ofcourse was the legal age of adulthood. On some Census you will see they do not always age 10years as you would expect. Sometimes less sometimes more than 10years. It can be very confusing but keep at it.It is a very addictive passtime.Good luck with your research.

[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by Karateman

Doing some ancestry research on mine, and my wifes families and so far got a lot of information, some going back to the late 18th cent.

My biggest problem is conflicting information reference birth dates and the like.
For example, the wifes grandad, a Joseph Mcintyre. I have found his family in the 1891 census where it says Joseph Mcintyre was 2 yrs old born in Horwich Bolton. So, I thinks to myself he was born in 1889 or 1888 perhaps. I then look for his birth record. Nothing for 1888 or 1889, but I find one Joseph Mcintyre's birth record in Bolton in 1887. So I think he should have been 3 or 4 on the census. Anyway I then try and trace his marriage to her grandma and find he was married in 1906. I sent for a copy of the marriage certiificate and low and behold it says he is 21 yrs old, suggesting he was born in 1885 or 1884 maybe, but again no birth records for those years.

So, 1891 census says he was 2 and born in Bolton, suggesting he was born in 1888/9 (definitely correct family)

Birth records say he was born in 1887 (Only Birth in Bolton in 1887 +/- 5 yrs)

and his wedding certificate suggests he was born in 1884/5 (definitely correct wedding certificate)

Any ideas why such conflicting info and how I could nail the correct date other than maybe order a birth certificate for another £10

Phil

Have you tried the death certificate.
Some Census enumerators rounded ages up or down to save themselves having to write 2 years and ?? months, he could have been 3 just a few days after the census. the 1841 census is the worst for that, it makes it appear as if every family had twins.
Don't forget the different dialects across the area in those days, enumarators wrote what they thought they heard, same with cloth eared parish clerks. Military records are some times worse for ages of single men, but married men if they wanted to claim allotments had to produce certificates.

[Karateman]

Thanks friends for the replies, so probably then the birth record is more than likely to be the correct or nearest the correct date for his age as opposed to the census or certificate.
I will try the death certificate as well and see if it tallies with anything.

Phil

[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by Karateman

Thanks friends for the replies, so probably then the birth record is more than likely to be the correct or nearest the correct date for his age as opposed to the census or certificate.
I will try the death certificate as well and see if it tallies with anything.

Phil

Have you tried the cemetery where he's buried. I often visit Acc Cem, and their records are always spot on, address from where they came & even who is in the same grave, and who owns the grave.

[Acstan]

Hi Karateman
All seems correct for Joseph Mcintyre being born in 1887, Horwich Bolton.
There is only one record in Births for him in 1887, HOR/19/11, Mothers maiden name being Hurst.
1891 Census age 4
1901 Census age 14
Died in 1964 age 77 in Blackburn, BE/65/67
Hope it fits in with your research.

[keith higson]

Further problems arise due to the fact that quite a few people were unfortunatly illeterate also in the past people did not move away from their ancestral home. In my case my forefathers came from the Bolton area (Deane, Little Hulton Wesyhoughton etc) .

However a problem arose when other people who's ancestors also had the same surname as mine, in that it becomes difficult when they married and had children around the same time as my ancestors and often were given the same name. Hope I have'nt confused you.