How to drive a family historian nuts ....

[Megan Roberts]

I have spent a large portion of today gaily adding school records to a number of folk in my tree from the "National School Admission Registers & Log-Books 1870-1914" collection held by Findmypast, and finding it very useful with all sorts of little gems in it, such actual birth dates, the reason that they left school and the date they left school etc.

Just found the snag ...... The last two that I have looked at I have the birth certificates for and the birth dates given in the school just do not match.

For instance: Tom Lew Roberts birth certificate 17 Jul 1888 v school record 16 Oct 1888 and his brother Evan John Roberts birth certificate 20 Jan 1892 v school record 22 Feb 1893.

They are the right individuals because there is other information in the school records to tie them to the family.

So now I just have to remember all those that I have already altered and go back and REALTER!!!

[almach]

Oh dear, Megan, how frustrating for you. You'll sort it..............a cup of tea or coffee and a few deep breaths does wonders

It is odd though that school records had the wrong birth dates, makes you wonder who gave them the information! If it makes you feel better I'd have been inclined to think school records would at least have the correct dates of birth. It does prove how important birth certificates are, particularly for our direct lines.

[Ladkyis]

It strikes me that the dates were probably altered to ensure that the parents didn't get prosecuted for failure to send the little cherubs to school. Do the admission dates line up with the children being the correct age to start school? rather than the real birth dates.

[Megan Roberts]

Its possible, I hadn't thought of that. But for the two boys mentioned its not their first school as the record says that they have transferred from somewhere else and I haven't found that record, and for the others I don't have the birth certificates, because they aren't direct line relies, and I thought I had found a way to avoid the expense!

Ah well - what I have decided to do, is for those that I don't have birth certificates is to leave the birth dates given by the school records, but with a big health warning against the dates, and an explanation of why there is a health warning.

[thewideeyedowl]

Hi all...

My guess is that School 1 either miscopied the record or perhaps wrote illegibly and School 2 simply entered the info as it was presented/as they read it.

Owl

[Lesley Robertson]

I have a few 19 th century records where dates, locations and other things (GUncle David even gave the wrong maiden name for his long-dead mother on his father’s death certificate) were wrong. I remember some discussion on soc.genealogy.british years ago where we came to the conclusion that some people didn’t want to admit to officialdom that they’d lost (or never had) certificates, and made something up...
Just speculation, of course.

[Guy Etchells]

What I cannot understand is why you have altered dates you already had.
I always copy every source as it is written but unless a birth certificate or a parish register (or in modern times the hospital or mid-wife’s birth records) entry shows a date of birth I leave the persons date of birth as circa.
For any particular individual I may have numerous sources with conflicting dates etc. but each source note reflects what is stated in the source.

To me nothing is proven in family history it is all judged on the balance of probability so I record everything on my database to allow those who come after me to make their own judgement.
Cheers
Guy

[Megan Roberts]

I didn't alter dates that I already had, other than those that come from censuses, which give one dates such as "about xyz". I certainly never altered anything that came from a birth certificate, and I cannot imagine why on earth you would think that.