People often added a few years to their age in order to get the pension. With the shortage of records they could give whatever age they wanted as it couldn't be proven. Often in families some children died and another child born a few years later got the same christian name, so when the time came to register for pension they could use the date of the first one instead. As they didn't celebrate birthdays like we do today many didn't know their exact age anyway. So "Elizabeth (this will not be her parents as the ages are incorrect)"...could easily be your Elizabeth. On 19:59, A & K Hitchcock wrote: > > Hello everyone > > I'm new to this list, having been researching family in Co Antrim and > Co Tyrone previously, along with Co Down. > > With most of them are proving elusive to say the least, I often > revisit previously researched information, and take a fresh look at it. > >> From my g-grandmother's death certificate, which is not in itself > reliable, it gave her place of birth as Bushmills (Co Antrim), and I > have looked for records for years for her family, and haven't managed > to actually find any. Her father was John Purdy, a farmer. Her > mother Elizabeth Kelly. > > Recently, on re-re-re-reading info from the 1911 census I came across > and John Purdy, wife Elizabeth (this will not be her parents as the > ages are incorrect) but both these people were born in Co Monaghan. > They gave their children similar first names to those which my > g-grandmother gave her children. These include Mabel and Eveline, > which whilst not terribly unusual, at least were not Anne and > Elizabeth! lol! > > I would think that dates relating to the couple would be: > > John Purdy b c 1830 > ELizabeth Kelly b c 1830 > > Rose Ann Purdy, my g-grandmother, was born c 1861. > > I am keeping an open mind about place of birth after my search, > because as previously mentioned it was only listed on her DEATH > certificate (which she obviously did not fill in herself :) ). On her > marriage certificate she very unhelpfully gives her place of birth as > IRELAND :) > >> From Griffiths I note that there are Kelly and Purdy families in the > parish of Muckno. What resources are available for Monaghan - I am a > newbie to this area. > > Cheers > Karen > Auckland, NZ > >