I have a great-grandmother reported to be 20 years older than her
husband (and so the death certificate proved.) However, she seems to
have lost 10 or more years every census.
Elizabeth C
Ron Ferguson wrote:
> Paula,
> The probable year of birth when calculated from a census is not
> necessarily that given in, say, Ancestry’s index. Consider the English
> Census which is usually taken around the end of March of the census
> year. If in 1911 the age of someone at the time of the census is 50,
> then Ancestry will give the year of birth as 1861 (1911-50). I would
> suggest that this is wrong because the actual dob lies between 1 Apr
> 1860 and 31 Mar 1861, so there is a 75% chance that the actual year of
> birth is 1860, which is the year I would use.
> However, having said that, the census ages of the English seem to be
> rather like Easter – a moveable feast – so at the end of the day I
> doubt if it makes much difference.
> Ron Ferguson
> http://www.fergys.co.uk/
> *From:* Paula Ryburn <mailto:paula.ryb...@sbcglobal.net>
> *Sent:* Monday, August 22, 2011 4:33 PM
> *To:* LegacyUserGroup@LegacyUsers.com
> <mailto:LegacyUserGroup@LegacyUsers.com>
> *Subject:* Re: [LegacyUG] "Facts"
> Thanks, Connie, for all this detail. I run into this "calculating the
> best date based on multiple somewhat conflicting sources" issue a lot
> and appreciate your insights.
> To the OP: Sometimes the age on census is a year different just
> because of the date the census was taken, at least I've found that to
> be the case with some of my ancestors.
> --Paula in Texas
> Researching: Adair Baker Beasley Benson Betz Bigley Blagrave Burton
> Chapman Clement Clough Coppernoll Costine Daulton Dinwiddie Doody
> Ellis Exline Field Floran Floyd Gates Goodale Gordon Gump Hale
> Harbaugh Hind Hopkins Hughes Hurdle Jones Klein Koyle Laswell McDonald
> Misner Passwaters Pelton Roberts Roche Ryburn Short Singer Sullivan
> Weller Williams
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* Connie Sheets <clshee...@yahoo.com>
> *To:* LegacyUserGroup@LegacyUsers.com
> *Sent:* Wed, August 17, 2011 4:14:50 PM
> *Subject:* Re: [LegacyUG] "Facts"
>
> It is perfectly acceptable to use the "best" source for a fact. For
> example, if I have an original marriage record, I cite that for the
> date and location of a marriage, rather than a book of compiled
> marriage records. Or, if I've been to a cemetery and saw a tombstone
> with my own eyes, I cite that for the date of death and place of
> burial, rather than a book of cemetery inscriptions or FindAGrave. I
> cite the derivative sources (sometimes called secondary sources) only
> until I've found the original source (sometimes called primary source).
>
> The example you gave is a bit more complicated, however, because it
> involves conflicting evidence, not just original vs. derivative
> sources. For a date of arrival/immigration event, I would cite the
> steamship arrival records (assuming they are originals, or images of
> originals) and related immigration records, not the census. However,
> I would still have a census or residence event, and I would cite the
> census for that. In my transcription of the census, I would
> transcribe it exactly, and probably make a separate note or source
> detail comment that I know the date of immigration in the census
> record is wrong because of the passenger list. This assumes that
> you're certain there wasn't a second person of the same name who
> arrived on a different date.
>
> I am of the firm belief that no genealogy program is the only tool one
> can or should use in genealogy. For more complicated situations, I
> write a separate detailed research report, proof summary, or proof
> argument in a word processing program, with tables, charts, and proper
> source citations. Then, I cite that document in my database, with a
> brief summary and link to the document. For example, I have this
> summary in Legacy:
>
> "John Doe could have been born as early as Jun 1807 or as late as 1
> Jun 1815. Based upon currently available data, however, the most
> likely range for his birth is about 1811 to 1812. This seems to be the
> most frequently calculated date, and is consistent with the ages
> recorded in the earliest available documents.
>
> Only one record, the 1900 census, explicitly states a birth year
> (1809), but given his advanced age, his illiteracy, and the fact that
> he was an "inmate" of the county poor farm, it is probably not as
> credible as the ages recorded in earlier census records."
>
> I entered his birth as Abt 1811-1812, and my source citation for his
> birth date reads:
>
> "Solomon Morgan Age Data," report prepared by Connie Sheets,
> (address), 10 Feb 2011; compiled from ages stated in obituary, state,
> and federal census records.
>
> Because the obituary, state, and federal census records are entered,
> transcribed and cited in Legacy as separate events, and because my
> Word document also contains detailed source citations, I don't see the
> need to cite them again for his birth date.
>
> Others will choose differently, but this is what works for me.
>
> Connie
>
>
>
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