I am having a problem reconciling the year of birth of Bridget Flynn born Glinsk/Kilbegnet 1844 [to parents James Flynn& Bridget Walsh married 1842 asme parish] with that declared in her Marriage Certificate (in England) where her age - in 1879 is recorded as 27. This would give her birth year as 1852, or more likely 1851 to allow a 28th birthday after her marriage.
Her age/birth year in various English Censuses (1871 & later) - married (& widowed) as Bridget Westbury - all relate back to 1850-1852 with one oddity of 1848 (likely a rounding of age). Her Death registration (in England) in 1927 puts her age as about 74 (1851-1853). So all references support a much later year than the one I have recorded.
It would be all to easy to challenge I have the right Bridget - indeed the right family- yet numerous searches have failed to find any another thats fits all the facts known for the family:
Parents and children born in Galway (unknown Parish)
Father James Flynn (a Tailor) and mother's first name is Bridget
Two children known to family with ages computed from Censuses - Bridget (c1850) & John (c1848)
The only new factor uncovered in my searches was an additional sibling MARY who WAS born 1851. As she does not appear with the family in England it was assumed she had died in infancy, but with the date anomalies I do wonder if Mary was Bridget? Although her birth is only recorded as Mary, was she, perhaps, Mary Bridget? Perhaps her older sister Bridget had died (I can find no Irish/English record of such) and Mary adopted Bridget as her preferred name? This would explain the date variations but is pure conjecture with no facts to back it up!
Apart from the date variations for Bridget everything else falls into place and even the additional child Mary is no surprise. Had the birth order of the children been reversed -Mary (1844),John (1848) & Bridget (1851) it would have been an open and shut case. But as it is I am left with a lingering doubt.
Any thoughts on how I can reconcile the birth year variances?
Bob
Noodlesathome
Sunday 8th Jul 2012, 10:37AMMessage Board Replies
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Hi Bob,
according to John Grenham in " Tracing your Irish ancestors" a large degree of sceptacism is needed with regard to ages in censuses and on marriage and death certificates (page 7). He says real ages can be up to 10 or 15 years older than those reported. I found this a number of times while researching my own family, in most cases I later found proof that I had been researching the right people.
I assume you haven t been able to find Bridget in the 1911 census? If you had and it had been filled in properly it would have the parish of birth. Did any of her Irish born siblings survive to appear in the 1911 census?
Rob
Robert McBride
Monday 9th Jul 2012, 01:13PM -
Hi Rob
Yes what you say has been advised by quite a few (on other forums) and I have now come to terms with the fact Bridget -for whatever reason - underplayed her age when over in England in her late teens and onwards throughout her life. She was in England with her family -including sibling John - from the mid 1860's and first appears in 1871. All other ages gel, except Bridget's.
Many thanks for your interest
Bob
Noodlesathome
Friday 13th Jul 2012, 09:22AM