Daily AncestorUntangle a date before 1752
Find one date from before 1752 in your tree, from a colonial or British record, and check whether it needs double dating or an Old Style adjustment.
Before 1752 the year began on March 25 in England, Wales, Ireland and the British colonies, so a January baptism can sit in a different year than you think, and family trees often get it wrong.
Your steps this week
- Pick a date between January 1 and March 24 from before 1752.
- Check whether the record writes it with a double year, such as 1731/2.
- Use the Old Style calculator to see the date in today's calendar and the year as we count it now.
- Fix your notes so they show the date as written and the year as we count it now.
- Look for other early dates in the same family that need the same care.