Daily AncestorCheck the day of the week
Find a record that names a weekday alongside a date, such as a Sunday baptism or a Sabbath burial, and check that the two agree.
When a weekday and a date disagree, one of them is wrong, and that can point to a copying error, an Old Style date or a misread figure.
Your steps this week
- Look for a record that gives both a date and a day, such as a newspaper, diary, church register or letter.
- Use the weekday calculator to see what day that date fell on.
- If they disagree, try the nearest likely misreadings of the day figure. For dates in British or colonial records before September 14, 1752, convert with the Old Style calculator first, because the weekday calculator uses today's calendar.
- Decide which part of the record is more likely right and note your reasoning.
- Keep the check in your notes, since it may help with other dates in the same record.