Could the Death Certificate date be wrong?

[tawny75]

This is just going to be one of those discrepancies I wont be able to get to the bottom of.  I have had a very productive day at the CBS today and now I have the following information!


Louisa Maud Smith

Born 20/5/1908 as per her birth certificate.
Baptised 23/7/1908 As per parish record of baptism (I misread Jul for Jan originally)
Married 12/5/1927 states her age as 19. (she would have been 18)
Died 26/9/1984 with her death certificate stating her DOB as 20/5/1907

The only conclusion I can come up with is that she truly believed that her birth date was 1907......Oh how I wish she was here so I could ask!

[IgorStrav]

How old was her husband at marriage? She was NEARLY 19 and maybe wanted to lessen the age gap?

And with the death registration, as has already been said, the date of birth is only as good as the informant's knowledge, which could easily be a year out.

[tawny75]

Grampy Fred was 20 so it wasn't a huge age gap at all!  I am officially stumped.

[IgorStrav]

She was 19 at marriage bar a week.

If my daughter is anything to go by, she'd say 19 if she was more or less there.

And re the death cert, the previous comments apply.  So many correct birth DAYS (because the family knows them from birthday celebrations) but the wrong year, on many occasions.