Genealogy Chat

I am new to genealogy. I have started to research my family tree and have hit a snag (the first of many I'm sure!!). Here's my problem...

I have the marriage record for my great grandfather, it shows his age as being 37 which if you work out the year of birth makes him born in 1884. I have found an entry in the births register matching the year that also matches the district he was married in.

My cousin is also researching the same tree and from discussions with living family members has found a death record that matches the year of death and cause. However whilst the district matches the same as the marriage record the age at time of death (58 years) would make him born in 1882.

I have searched birth records for both 1882 and 1884 and have found several name matches, however only one (in 1884) matches the same district as both his marriage and death records.

My questions are:

1) Which age is more likely to be correct...the one on his marriage certificate, or the one on his death certificate?

2) How often did people move around in those times? Meaning how likely is it that they were born, married, and died in the same district?

Unfortunately there are no living relatives that could confirm any findings.

All help is greatly appreciated.

His marriage age is more likely to be correct as the age on the death cert depends on who gave the information and how well they knew him. Whereas one hopes he knew his own age when he married.

However, dont get stuck on one year. It may be the next day after his wedding he was 38. Ditto the death - if someone did know the right age, say he died on the day he turned 58 or was due a 59th birthday the next day? So you cant tie an age down to a year that accurately.

If you give us ALL the details you have, on the marriage cert we should be able to find him at home. Was he a widower when he married?

Re your question re moving around - well they moved around an awful lot, travelling for work normally. However, just as today there are people born, marrying and dying in the same village.

Well, I reckon it's quite possible it's the same man. You would have to get the certificate to check, but possibly the informant who registered his death may not have been 100% sure how old he was.

My great grandma is down on the death index and her headstone as being 74 years old when she died in 1941, but I know from cross-referencing with her birth that she should have been three months past her 72nd birthday. It may just be that whoever registered her death wasn't sure, and gave it their best guess.

And I would say it's very possible that someone lived their whole life within one district. I have looked up addresses for my ancestors and found that one branch basically moved up and down and round the corner from just one main road.

If you post the details of the marriage cert....including fathers' names and occupations maybe someone can help find them in a census. This should help clarify the age and district.
Marriages tended to be in the bride's home parish so this may or may not be the groom's home area.

Gwyn

Thanks for the prompt replies. The details on the marriage certificate are:

Date of marriage: Jan 23rd 1921
At: The Parish Church in the parish of Plaistow

Name:George Cater (37 years), batchelor Occupation: Motor driver
Residence: 6 Greengate Street, Plaistow
Fathers Name: George Cater
Fathers Profession: Builder

Name:Rose Waite (29 years), spinster
Occupation: n/a
Residence: 139 Broadway, Plaistow
Fathers Name: Joseph Thomas Waite
Fathers Profession: Dock Labourer

Hope this helps.

1891??????....the father was a Bricklayer

Name: George Cater
Age: 5
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1886
Relation: Son
Father's Name: George
Mother's Name: Eleanor
Gender: Male
Where born: Upton Park, Essex, England

Civil Parish: East Ham
Ecclesiastical parish: St Stephen
County/Island: Essex
Country: England

Registration district: West Ham
Sub-registration district: East Ham
ED, institution, or vessel: 11
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Eleanor Cater 29
Eleanor Cater 12
George Cater 33
George Cater 5
Julia Cater 10/12
Lattie Cater 7

Reg

As a follow on, the details on the birth certificate I have of the person I think may be the right one are:

When and where born: 21st June 1884, 54 Milton Road, Plaistow
Name: George
Sex: Boy
Fathers Name: George Cater
Mothers Name: Ellen Cater (nee Rivett)
Fathers Occupation: looks like "Potman"
When registered: 26th June 1884

1891

George Cater
Age: 5
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1886
Relation: Son
Father's Name: George
Mother's Name: Eleanor
Gender: Male
Where born: Upton Park, Essex, England

Civil Parish: East Ham
Ecclesiastical parish: St Stephen
County/Island: Essex
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View Image

Registration district: West Ham
Sub-registration district: East Ham
ED, institution, or vessel: 11
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Eleanor Cater 29
Eleanor Cater 12
George Cater 33
George Cater 5
Julia Cater 10/12
Lattie Cater 7

Dad George is a Bricklayer

Address is 12 Cresant Rd

I did stumble across that entry in the census but wasn't sure as his age on the census is two years out from what I think is his year of birth (I know this can be wrong on the census though), and also the mothers name doesn't match (Eleanor on the census vs Ellen on the birth certificate).

I've looked up on the internet for the name Eleanor but it doesn't show Ellen as a variation, although I agree the birth place is a close match.

I know things won't match exactly on all types of record but being a newbie to this I don't know how much of a variation is considered a close enough match.

Who were the witnesses on the marriage cert?
They might help link George to a particular family.

Gwyn

I would think Eleanor/Ellen is a pretty good match. Father's occupations were often upgraded a bit on marriage certs so a bricklayer could well become a builder. However, not keen on the "Potman" on the birth cert.

William John Reeves
and
William John Bidgood (looks like this anyway).

How accurate are ages on census'?

Name variations don't follow strict lines...........many of those on the censuses are a result of misunderstanding........of accents for example.
You have to be flexible to a certain extent..........

Reg

Ages on censuses are as accurate as the information given to the enumerator by the person giving it.............

Reg

This could of been his birth

Births Sep 1885 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cater George W.Ham 4a 50

Thanks for everyone's comments and help, I have requested the birth certificate for the 1885 record and will see where that leaves me.

Once again, thanks all.