Ages given in Census records

[Nanny Ann]

Hi, how reliable are ages as of dates of birth in Census records, and are the 1881 Census records complete? Tried in vain to find where my missing link is, no trace of this family in 1881.

Many thanks
Ann

[JBee]

The closer of the census to the birth the chances are the age will be reasonably accurate - that's what I've been told. So born 1861 age 0 1871 10, etc however by 1911 it could be well out.

[Olde Crone]

Not reliable at all. People very often didn't know how old they were or how old their spouse was, or their inlaws or whoever they were living with and just made a valiant guess. Add to that the fact that the information was then transcribed and transcribed again and it becomes a miracle that anyone's age was ever correct!

I agree with JBee, the nearer you get to birth, the more accurate the age is likely to be on census.

1881 is considered to be more or less complete. Who are you looking for?

OC

[Nanny Ann]

Stevenson or Stephenson as it was often inter-changed

Living in Ince-in-Makerfield, Wigan

Francis Stevenson: Abt 1837 born in Stafford (Rugeley)
Mary Ann Stevenson: abt 1837 born in Stafford
Bossy Stevenson: abt 1864
Noah Stevenson:abt 1866
George Stevenson: abt 1868

They were in Ince 1871

George then appears in Middlesbrough with his wife and children in 1891, 1901, 1911.

Noah -if it is the same Noah and his family appear in Middlesbrough in 1901 and 1911. Some close similarities apart from the ages!!

Many thanks,
Ann

[Nanny Ann]

My typing is getting worse!! It's Bessy not Bossy.

[Mary from Italy]

The family are still in Ince in 1881, listed under the surname Stephen, and Noah's name is spelled Nowar.

In 1891 they're in Wigan, listed as Stephenton (transcribed by Ancestry as Staphanton).

Links to the census Mary from Italy found.

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/s...iv=1&ml_rpos=1

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/s...off=&ml_rpos=4

[Nanny Ann]

Mary and Maggie, thank you so much!! This is the same family 1901 & 1911 in Middlesbrough. I am so grateful for your help. The ages do not all quite tally, but are near enough.

Ann

After doing fh for quite a number of years, I think that birthdays were not considered relevant in many families. If you were poor financially and had a large number of children, you didn't have time for treats, you were scraping to put food on the table and clothes on their backs. I know with one of mine he didn't know the year he was born and wrote to his brother and said How old are you as I am older than you.

I know of quite a few people who thought they were born on a certain date and when they got their birth certificates found out that it is out a day or two.

That doesn't even take into account the people who put their ages up or down for various reasons and then all the mistakes in people not being able to read or write. Julie

[Nanny Ann]

Julie, how right you are. I think the same principle applies to the place of birth at least the county they were born in remained the same. Ann