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GRO Deaths - how accurate please
Profile | Posted by | Options | Post Date |
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Sylvie | Report | 18 Nov 2003 17:21 |
I am trying to 'kill someone off' in the 1930's. I have searched the GRO references and can find no one who would be the right age - how accurate are these records? Was the age just given by the informant and could therefore be adrift by a year or two? Are there transciption errors? I can't tie up with the place of death either. Thanks Sylvie |
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Deborah | Report | 18 Nov 2003 17:25 |
Hi Sylvie, You're quite right. The info on a death cert is only as reliable as the person giving the info. So age is quite often out by a year or two, depending on how well the informant knew the person, or how truthful the deceased had been with their age, thru' their lifetime!!! We all knew they used to dress it up it a bit! Debbie |
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Margaret | Report | 18 Nov 2003 17:27 |
It is said that the only person who knew the true age was the deceased person! Margaret |
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Carol | Report | 18 Nov 2003 17:33 |
Sometimes, people didn`t know their own age. If a person was born out of wedlock and parents married later, when the child became old enough to understand, he/she could be told that they are a year younger than they are, and they carry that on throughout their lives. Years ago, not many people had need of a birth certificate, so they were none the wiser. |
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Sylvie | Report | 18 Nov 2003 17:37 |
Thanks to you all - I had presumed they were more accurate than that so I wil take another look Sylvie |
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BobClayton | Report | 18 Nov 2003 17:47 |
The GRO are transcriptions from the local indexes, there are errors and some are missing that are on the local indexes. Bob |
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