Daily AncestorOne person, two census ages
Pick one ancestor and find them in two censuses at least ten years apart. Work out a birth year from each age and see whether they agree.
Census ages are the most common birth evidence we have, and the most often wrong. Seeing the drift for yourself is the quickest way to learn how much to trust a single age.
Your steps this week
- Choose someone who lived through at least two censuses from 1850 on, when every person is named.
- Find both entries and write down the age exactly as written, with the census date for that year.
- Turn each age into a birth range with the census calculator, not a single year.
- Compare the ranges. If they overlap, note the overlap; if not, list the possible reasons (a different informant, rounding, a different person).
- Record both entries as sources, even the one you think is wrong.