Don't forget that the enumerator could only put down what he was told, and many people born pre 1837 would have no paper work to show their age: many of those born in 1837 + may have lost their certificates, and many could not read them anyway. So ages in Census fit where they touch, but are more reliable than ages at death/burial, when often the only person with the true knowledge is in the coffin! Donald Massey ----- Original Message ----- >> > > Yes, thanks for that. Sometimes the ages seem to be 'spot on' with other > documents and sometimes really wide off the mark. Sometimes the census > people > gave the right age and sometimes they are wildly inaccurate? > > Best thing is to marry the 1841 data with other sources - I don't think > the > census people knew they were 'Victorians' in 1841! But who else than > Victorians > would even think of rounding peoples' ages off to 5? Can't see the point > of > it? >