A few years ago I did a study of reported age/birthdate of people listed in the Ireland- Clare- census of 1901 and 1911.   Far more people were born in 1896, 1891, 1886, 1881, etc than any of the intervening years.  There was obviously lots of age-rounding.  The ten year intervals were greater than those of five years.    This was no marginal "bulge." Look at this random example.  Virtually every "head of family, "  8 of of 10, gives an age which has rounding-tracks.     1901 Census of Clare District Electoral Division: Cloghera Townland: Coolderry DED Number: 104/2 Surname Christian Name Rel to H of F Religion Education Age Sex Occupation Field Marriage Where born Irish Language Crowe James Head of Family Roman Catholic Read-Write 36 Male Farmer Married Co. Clare Crowe Bridget Wife Roman Catholic Read-Write 26 Female Married Co. Clare Crowe John Son Roman Catholic Cannot Read 3 mths Male Not Married Co. Clare Crowe Lizzie Sister Roman Catholic Read-Write 23 Female Farmer's Daughter Not Married Co. Clare Crowe Bridget Mother Roman Catholic Read-Write 69 Female Widow Co. Clare Kearney James Servant Roman Catholic Read-Write 18 Male Farm Servant Not Married Co. Clare Hannan Michael Head of Family Roman Catholic Read-Write 75 Male Farmer Married Co. Clare Irish-English Hannan Hanoria Wife Roman Catholic Read-Write 70 Female Married Co. Clare Hannan Michael Son Roman Catholic Read-Write 34 Male Farmer Married Co. Clare Hannan Mary Daughter-in-law Roman Catholic Read-Write 25 Female Farmer's Daughter Married Co. Clare Hannan Stephen Son Roman Catholic Read-Write 32 Male Farmer's Son Not Married Co. Clare Hickey Margaret Servant Roman Catholic Cannot Read 32 Female General Servant Domestic Not Married Co. Clare Walle James Head of Family Roman Catholic Read-Write 55 Male Farmer Married Co. Clare Walle Ellen Wife Roman Catholic Read-Write 50 Female Married Co. Limerick Walle Patrick Son Roman Catholic Read-Write 26 Male Farmer's Son Not Married Co. Clare Walle Peter Son Roman Catholic Read-Write 23 Male Farmer's Son Not Married Co. Clare Hannan Patt Head of Family Roman Catholic Read-Write 45 Male Farmer Married Co. Clare Hannan Mary Wife Roman Catholic Read-Write 35 Female Farmer's Wife Married Co. Clare Hannan Thomas Son Roman Catholic Read-Write 8 Male Scholar Not Married Co. Clare Hannan Martin Son Roman Catholic Read-Write 7 Male Scholar Not Married Co. Clare Hannan Patt Son Roman Catholic Read-Write 5 Male Scholar Not Married Co. Clare Larkin Patt Servant Roman Catholic Read-Write 18 Male Farm Servant Not Married Co. Clare Hudson Mary Servant Roman Catholic Read-Write 17 Female General Servant Domestic Not Married Co. Clare Keane Mary Head of Family Roman Catholic Read-Write 35 Female Farmer's Wife Widow Co. Clare Keane Mary Daughter Roman Catholic Read-Write 11 Female Scholar Not Married Co. Clare Keane James Son Roman Catholic Read-Write 9 Male Scholar Not Married Co. Clare Keane Helena Daughter Roman Catholic Read-Write 6 Female Scholar Not Married Co. Clare Keane Katie Daughter Roman Catholic Cannot Read 4 Female Not Married Co. Clare Keane Margaret Daughter Roman Catholic Cannot Read 2 Female Not Married Co. Clare Keane Pat Servant Roman Catholic Read-Write 18 Male Farm Servant Not Married Co. Clare Larkin Michael Servant Roman Catholic Read-Write 24 Male Farm Servant Not Married Co. Clare Hayes James Head of Family Roman Catholic Read 30 Male Farm Servant Married Co. Clare Hayes Annie Wife Roman Catholic Read-Write 22 Female Married Co. Clare Hayes Mary Daughter Roman Catholic Cannot Read 1 Female Not Married Co. Clare Hayes John Son Roman Catholic Cannot Read 1 Male Not Married Co. Clare Hannan Thomas Head of Family Roman Catholic Read-Write 60 Male Farmer Married Co. Clare Hannan Norah Wife Roman Catholic Read-Write 48 Female Married Co. Clare Hannan Thomas Son Roman Catholic Read-Write 26 Male Farmer's Son Not Married Co. Clare Hannan Mary Daughter Roman Catholic Read-Write 22 Female Farmer's Daughter Not Married Co. Clare Hannan Martin Son Roman Catholic Read-Write 19 Male Farmer's Son Not Married Co. Clare Hannan Pat Son Roman Catholic Read-Write 17 Male Farmer's Son Not Married Co. Clare Hannan Maggie Daughter Roman Catholic Read-Write 14 Female Scholar Not Married Co. Clare Hannan Michael Son Roman Catholic Read-Write 12 Male Scholar Not Married Co. Clare Hannan Norah Daughter Roman Catholic Read-Write 10 Female Scholar Not Married Co. Clare Fennessy John Head of Family Roman Catholic Read-Write 60 Male Farm Labourer Married Co. Clare Fennessy Mary Wife Roman Catholic Read-Write 56 Female Married Co. Clare Fennessy Mary Daughter Roman Catholic Read-Write 24 Female General Domestic Servant Not Married Co. Clare Fennessy Michael Son Roman Catholic Read-Write 27 Male Agricultural Labourer Not Married Co. Clare Fennessy John Son Roman Catholic Read-Write 25 Male Agricultural Labourer Not Married Co. Clare Fennessy Thomas Son Roman Catholic Read-Write 23 Male Agricultural Labourer Not Married Co. Clare Fennessy James Son Roman Catholic Read-Write 16 Male Agricultural Labourer Not Married Co. Clare Campbell James Head of Family Roman Catholic Read-Write 83 Male Farmer Widower Co. Clare Campbell Timothy Son Roman Catholic Read-Write 32 Male Farmer's Son Married Co. Clare Campbell Bridget Daughter-in-law Roman Catholic Read-Write 25 Female Married Co. Clare Campbell Margaret Daughter Roman Catholic Read-Write 26 Female Farmer's Daughter Not Married Co. Clare Campbell Margaret Servant Roman Catholic Cannot Read 16 Female General Servant Domestic Not Married Co. Clare Campbell John Head of Family Roman Catholic Read-Write 40 Male Farmer Married Co. Clare Campbell Bridget Wife Roman Catholic Read-Write 30 Female Married Co. Clare Campbell James Son Roman Catholic Cannot Read 4 Male Not Married Co. Clare Campbell Anne Daughter Roman Catholic Cannot Read 1 Female Not Married Co. Clare Skeahan Patrick Servant Roman Catholic Cannot Read 35 Male Farm Servant Not Married Co. Clare           I'd guess that the rounding was done by both the census-taker and the person reporting for the household.  Did they eyeball the children and report ages that seem sequential?   Bob Tera

Bob, I did the same thing for the Castlecomer area of Kilkenny in 1901 and 1911, with much the same results, a disproportionate aging of heads of household from one to the other. A possible explanation is England passing an old-age pension act in about 1909. Padding one's age by a few years in 1911 would put one that much closer to the coveted retirement age. I don't doubt the practice was Ireland-wide. Jack Langton -----Original Message----- From: Tera Robert <[email protected]> To: ny-irish <[email protected]> Sent: Fri, Mar 28, 2014 1:22 pm Subject: [NY-IRISH] census age rounding A few years ago I did a study of reported age/birthdate of people listed in the Ireland- Clare- census of 1901 and 1911. Far more people were born in 1896, 1891, 1886, 1881, etc than any of the intervening years. There was obviously lots of age-rounding. The ten year intervals were greater than those of five years.