Mar quarter 1840 Grabriel appears to marry Sophia WICKSON Thame 16 143 D-I-L often means Step Daughter So it appears Sophia is Elizabeth's mother Ron Lankshear -Sydney NSW (from London-Shepherds Bush/Chiswick) try my links http://freepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lankshear/ On 2011-06-28 6:08 PM, graham rolls wrote: > I hope some kind person can help me with my Brick Wall! > > Elizabeth WICKSON b 30 August 1832 Abingdon Berkshire parents Elizabeth and > Joseph WICKSON.(Non Conformist records). > > She married William SMITH 25th August 1856.in Haseley Oxford > > On the 1841C she was residing with Gabriel and Sophia BILLING in the civil > parish of Great Haseley Oxfordshire. > > On the 1851C she was still living with the above and this time she was > described as Daughter in Law. She was not a Daughter in Law in the modern > sense! so therefore does this mean that she was adopted? because I could not > find any records of her parents.

My mail took 3 1/2 hours to appear. I've also been wondering about that. Could be Sophie's daughter from her first marriage, not shown online. I reckon checking the places of birth given in the 1851 & later censuses, & looking there, would be a good idea. Sophie Stone/Wickson/Billing(s) is shown as born Standlake in the 1881 census. She's not in the Oxfordshire Marriage Index, as far as I can see, but if she married across the river she wouldn't be covered. Some STONEs just over the river in Appleton, Fyfield, & Marcham. That's just outside Abingdon. There's some crossover between WIXON (WICKSON, etc) & RIXON, so that's also worth checking. On 28/06/2011 14:30, Wendy King wrote: > a second go at sending this: > > Are you sure you have the right birth? > Wendy >

Hello Folks, I hope some kind person can help me with my Brick Wall! Elizabeth WICKSON b 30 August 1832 Abingdon Berkshire parents Elizabeth and Joseph WICKSON.(Non Conformist records). She married William SMITH 25th August 1856.in Haseley Oxford On the 1841C she was residing with Gabriel and Sophia BILLING in the civil parish of Great Haseley Oxfordshire. On the 1851C she was still living with the above and this time she was described as Daughter in Law. She was not a Daughter in Law in the modern sense! so therefore does this mean that she was adopted? because I could not find any records of her parents. Kind Regards Graham

>From Jackson's Oxford Journal, Saturday, March 17, 1888; Issue 7044. MARRIAGE. March 3, at Manchester, by licence, George Christopher, youngest surviving son of the late Mr. James MALTBY , of St. Thomas's, Oxford, to Florence Isabel, only daughter of Mr. Wilfrid GREY , builder, Maidstone, Kent.

The 1841 census says Elizabeth was born in county - but Abingdon was the county town of Berkshire at the time, & definitely not part of Oxfordshire. It could be that she's in the nonconformist register there just because it was the nearest congregation her parents liked, not because she was born there. Where does the 1851 census say she was born? That could help track down her parents. On 28/06/2011 09:08, graham rolls wrote: > Hello Folks, > > I hope some kind person can help me with my Brick Wall! > > Elizabeth WICKSON b 30 August 1832 Abingdon Berkshire parents Elizabeth and > Joseph WICKSON.(Non Conformist records). > > She married William SMITH 25th August 1856.in Haseley Oxford > > On the 1841C she was residing with Gabriel and Sophia BILLING in the civil > parish of Great Haseley Oxfordshire. > > On the 1851C she was still living with the above and this time she was > described as Daughter in Law. She was not a Daughter in Law in the modern > sense! so therefore does this mean that she was adopted? because I could not > find any records of her parents. > > Kind Regards > > Graham > > _____________________________________________ > > Oxfordshire Surname Interest list - www.oxsil.org.uk Have you entered your names of interest? > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to OXFORDSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Marriages, Great Haseley 1840 Mar 2 By licence Gabriel BILLING full age bach otp, mechanic, son John, publican Sophia WICKSON full age, wid otp, do Thomas Stone, tailor. Witnesses: Henry LEE, Ann ROSSER 1856 Aug 25, by banns William SMITH 23 bach otp carpenter son John, Lab Elizabeth WICKSON 24 spin otp d Joseph, cabinet maker (his trade is queried in the register) Wits: Mary Bracey, Abel Smith Burials 1898 Feb 23. Gabriel BILLING, 80 yrs 1901 Aug 10 Sophia BILLING 92 yrs No burial of a Joseph Wickson or Thomas Stone. No Stone christenings. Lots of Billings, but I didn't check 'em except above. Some Wickson (Wixon, etc) entries in the 17th century. On 28/06/2011 10:26, Liz Gadd wrote: > Hi Graham > > Gabriel BILLING married Sophia WICKSON Mar 1840 Thame (district). > It would appear that Elizabeth bn 1833 dau. of Joseph& Elizabeth , > described as "dau in law" is probably Sophia's niece. > Did Sophia have a brother Joseph? The parents may have died and Elizabeth > went to live with a relative. > the term "dau in law" can cover, niece, step-daughter, etc. No formal > adoption at that time. > > Liz > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "graham rolls"<grahamnr@tadaust.org.au> > To:<oxfordshire@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2011 9:08 AM > Subject: [OXF] Elizabeth WICKSON > > >> Hello Folks, >> >> I hope some kind person can help me with my Brick Wall! >> >> Elizabeth WICKSON b 30 August 1832 Abingdon Berkshire parents Elizabeth >> and >> Joseph WICKSON.(Non Conformist records). >> >> She married William SMITH 25th August 1856.in Haseley Oxford >> >> On the 1841C she was residing with Gabriel and Sophia BILLING in the >> civil >> parish of Great Haseley Oxfordshire. >> >> On the 1851C she was still living with the above and this time she was >> described as Daughter in Law. She was not a Daughter in Law in the modern >> sense! so therefore does this mean that she was adopted? because I could >> not >> find any records of her parents. >> >> Kind Regards >> >> Graham >> >> _____________________________________________ >> >> Oxfordshire Surname Interest list - www.oxsil.org.uk Have you entered your >> names of interest? >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> OXFORDSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message > _____________________________________________ > > Oxfordshire Surname Interest list - www.oxsil.org.uk Have you entered your names of interest? > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to OXFORDSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

a second go at sending this: Are you sure you have the right birth? at this time the term daughter (or son) in law usually indicates a step child though perhaps in this case it could mean sister in law? freebmd has Gabriel Billing married Sophie Wickson Jan - Mar 1840 at Thame. I don’t have Abingdon PR CDs so perhaps you could ask the list to check Sophie birth for you and to double check that there is no Elizabeth daughter of Sophie born about 1832 if you can’t access them yourself If you have only been searching on line it is unlikely that you will find these people as the Oxfordshire PRs have not been released yet – see last week’s posts Wendy -----Original Message----- From: Paul Irving Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2011 9:49 AM To: oxfordshire@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [OXF] Elizabeth WICKSON Daughter in law was used not only in its current meaning, but also where we would use stepdaughter, or adopted daughter. Were her parents dead? On 28/06/2011 09:08, graham rolls wrote: > Hello Folks, > > I hope some kind person can help me with my Brick Wall! > > Elizabeth WICKSON b 30 August 1832 Abingdon Berkshire parents Elizabeth > and > Joseph WICKSON.(Non Conformist records). > > She married William SMITH 25th August 1856.in Haseley Oxford > > On the 1841C she was residing with Gabriel and Sophia BILLING in the > civil > parish of Great Haseley Oxfordshire. > > On the 1851C she was still living with the above and this time she was > described as Daughter in Law. She was not a Daughter in Law in the modern > sense! so therefore does this mean that she was adopted? because I could > not > find any records of her parents. > > Kind Regards > > Graham > > _____________________________________________ > > Oxfordshire Surname Interest list - www.oxsil.org.uk Have you entered your > names of interest? > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > OXFORDSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > _____________________________________________ Oxfordshire Surname Interest list - www.oxsil.org.uk Have you entered your names of interest? ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to OXFORDSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

We have friends coming to visit, owing to the fact they have mentioned a wish to visit HolyTrinity . (For different reasons .) More so since learning about the Narnia window. To visit should be easy, except, will the church be open all day . I can find when there will be a service . I really need to know times open and no service Jeune Mitchell.

Hi Graham, I stand to be corrected on this. In my own research, I have found the term "daughter in law" used, where in fact the relationship was what we now term step daughter." for that to be the case with the situation you describe though, I'd have assumed that the wife to the head of house would have been Elizabeth, not sophia, unless Sophia was Gabriel's 2nd wife? Kind regards, Jon

Graham wrote: > Elizabeth WICKSON b 30 August 1832 Abingdon Berkshire parents > Elizabeth and Joseph WICKSON.(Non Conformist records). > > She married William SMITH 25th August 1856.in Haseley Oxford > > On the 1841C she was residing with Gabriel and Sophia BILLING in > the civil parish of Great Haseley Oxfordshire. > > On the 1851C she was still living with the above and this time she > was described as Daughter in Law. She was not a Daughter in Law in > the modern sense! so therefore does this mean that she was adopted? > because I could not find any records of her parents. In the past, son- or daughter-in-law often also meant stepson or stepdaughter, which would imply that her real father had died and her mother had remarried. But in this case that would mean that the mother's name had changed from Elizabeth to Sophia :-) So perhaps she WAS adopted. But Great Haseley is about 10 miles from Abingdon, so it's less likely to be a case of neighbourly sympathy -- which anyway didn't happen very often because no-one had any money to spare. What were Elizabeth WICKSON's and Sophia BILLING's maiden names? Were they related? What do the marriage record and her marriage certificate say about her parents? You say you found no record of her parents -- presumably that means they don't show up in 1841. What about Abingdon Burials etc? Not there either? Have you looked under WIXON? DaveB

Hi Graham Gabriel BILLING married Sophia WICKSON Mar 1840 Thame (district). It would appear that Elizabeth bn 1833 dau. of Joseph & Elizabeth , described as "dau in law" is probably Sophia's niece. Did Sophia have a brother Joseph? The parents may have died and Elizabeth went to live with a relative. the term "dau in law" can cover, niece, step-daughter, etc. No formal adoption at that time. Liz ----- Original Message ----- From: "graham rolls" <grahamnr@tadaust.org.au> To: <oxfordshire@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2011 9:08 AM Subject: [OXF] Elizabeth WICKSON > Hello Folks, > > I hope some kind person can help me with my Brick Wall! > > Elizabeth WICKSON b 30 August 1832 Abingdon Berkshire parents Elizabeth > and > Joseph WICKSON.(Non Conformist records). > > She married William SMITH 25th August 1856.in Haseley Oxford > > On the 1841C she was residing with Gabriel and Sophia BILLING in the > civil > parish of Great Haseley Oxfordshire. > > On the 1851C she was still living with the above and this time she was > described as Daughter in Law. She was not a Daughter in Law in the modern > sense! so therefore does this mean that she was adopted? because I could > not > find any records of her parents. > > Kind Regards > > Graham > > _____________________________________________ > > Oxfordshire Surname Interest list - www.oxsil.org.uk Have you entered your > names of interest? > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > OXFORDSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Daughter in law was used not only in its current meaning, but also where we would use stepdaughter, or adopted daughter. Were her parents dead? On 28/06/2011 09:08, graham rolls wrote: > Hello Folks, > > I hope some kind person can help me with my Brick Wall! > > Elizabeth WICKSON b 30 August 1832 Abingdon Berkshire parents Elizabeth and > Joseph WICKSON.(Non Conformist records). > > She married William SMITH 25th August 1856.in Haseley Oxford > > On the 1841C she was residing with Gabriel and Sophia BILLING in the civil > parish of Great Haseley Oxfordshire. > > On the 1851C she was still living with the above and this time she was > described as Daughter in Law. She was not a Daughter in Law in the modern > sense! so therefore does this mean that she was adopted? because I could not > find any records of her parents. > > Kind Regards > > Graham > > _____________________________________________ > > Oxfordshire Surname Interest list - www.oxsil.org.uk Have you entered your names of interest? > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to OXFORDSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

I've seen daughter-in-law to mean daughter of my wife, in other words - stepDaughter. Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange -----Original Message----- From: "graham rolls" <grahamnr@tadaust.org.au> Sender: oxfordshire-bounces@rootsweb.com Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:08:47 To: <oxfordshire@rootsweb.com> Reply-To: oxfordshire@rootsweb.com Subject: [OXF] Elizabeth WICKSON Hello Folks, I hope some kind person can help me with my Brick Wall! Elizabeth WICKSON b 30 August 1832 Abingdon Berkshire parents Elizabeth and Joseph WICKSON.(Non Conformist records). She married William SMITH 25th August 1856.in Haseley Oxford On the 1841C she was residing with Gabriel and Sophia BILLING in the civil parish of Great Haseley Oxfordshire. On the 1851C she was still living with the above and this time she was described as Daughter in Law. She was not a Daughter in Law in the modern sense! so therefore does this mean that she was adopted? because I could not find any records of her parents. Kind Regards Graham _____________________________________________ Oxfordshire Surname Interest list - www.oxsil.org.uk Have you entered your names of interest? ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to OXFORDSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Can give you this so far....Am trying to find Sophia Wickson...or a marriage between John Wickson and Sophia ?  perhaps after his wife Elizabeth died???? Gabriel Billing married Sophia Wickson Mar Q 1840 @ Thame Registration District Denise ----- Original Message ---- From: graham rolls <grahamnr@tadaust.org.au> To: oxfordshire@rootsweb.com Sent: Tue, June 28, 2011 4:08:47 AM Subject: [OXF] Elizabeth WICKSON Hello Folks, I hope some kind person can help me with my Brick Wall! Elizabeth WICKSON b 30 August 1832 Abingdon Berkshire parents Elizabeth and Joseph WICKSON.(Non Conformist records). She married  William  SMITH 25th August 1856.in Haseley Oxford On the 1841C she was residing with Gabriel and Sophia  BILLING in the civil parish of Great Haseley Oxfordshire. On the 1851C she was still living with the above and this time she was described as Daughter in Law. She was not a Daughter in Law in the modern sense! so therefore does this mean that she was adopted? because I could not find any records of her parents. Kind Regards Graham _____________________________________________ Oxfordshire Surname Interest list - www.oxsil.org.uk Have you entered your names of interest? ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to OXFORDSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

If the person is alive at say 9.30pm when they went to sleep and was found dead the next morning - then - which date did they die? The death cert may say one of the dates due to the convention at the time (first date?) but, who really knows. Sometimes the death cert here will say overnight between the 3rd and the 4th June, for example. Certainly I would take the death cert in preference to burial, probate or gravestone - and note, there could be an error in transcription too. We do not have the English system of the GRO transcribing from a list sent every so often from the local registrar offices, but even so, there is the odd person being buried before they died! Usually the month is wrong and you can guess, but.. Dawn (Melbourne Australia) -----Original Message----- From: oxfordshire-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:oxfordshire-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Catherine Hitchens Sent: Friday, 24 June 2011 4:52 AM To: oxfordshire@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [OXF] Date discrepancy In my many years experience as a registrar, I would say that the informant told the registrar that she disagreed with the doctor's certificate (this often happened particularly with deaths around midnight, but also because doctor's are quite likely to be wrong when writing out the medical certificate and the registrar would take the information from the informant. The informant had another chance to amend the date when asked to read the entry and confirm its accuracy before signing. All good wishes Catherine ----- Original Message ----- From: "The Quineys" <ftree@quineyclan.force9.co.uk> To: <oxfordshire@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2011 5:56 PM Subject: Re: [OXF] Date discrepancy > > I know that my grandmother's headstone doesn't agree with her death > certificate by one day. She died overnight at a care home and my > grandfather disagreed with the exact date ... was it evening of one day > or early morning of the next? It's hard to tell. > Heather > > > > On 23/06/2011 12:14, Chris Howes wrote: >> Has anyone any thoughts on a date discrepancy, as to why it might occur >> or >> which should be taken as the more accurate? >> >> I have a record of a death of Archie Dunkley in Long Hanborough. The >> death >> certificate states 3 August 1918, informant his daughter on the 5th; he >> died >> of cancer at only 46. The gravestone and probate both state that he died >> on >> 4 August. I'm taking a guess that the gravestone is most likely to be >> correct, backed up by the probate record, though of course the death >> certificate I guess should be the definitive record but I can see where a >> mistake might be made. Informant a 14 year old daughter named Lillian, a >> registrar in Witney making a mistake ... >> >> Would this have required travel by Lillian to Witney? What was required >> to >> register a death in those days; the doctor pronouncing death helping? >> Someone came to you, you sent a letter, what? >> >> Thanks for any thoughts. >> >> Chris Howes >> > > _____________________________________________ > > Oxfordshire Surname Interest list - www.oxsil.org.uk Have you entered your > names of interest? > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > OXFORDSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message _____________________________________________ Oxfordshire Surname Interest list - www.oxsil.org.uk Have you entered your names of interest? ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to OXFORDSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 6234 (20110623) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 6234 (20110623) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com

A response here for possible interest but not of any help in this case I'm sorry to say. I'd be delighted, though, if someone can answer my query at the end. For a long time the paper trail 'insisted' that my husband's gt-grandmother died on 3 Dec 1872 (registered on the 4th) and, yet, she gave birth 2 days later (on the 5th) to his grandfather! Bigamy or petty criminal activity were possibly the most 'deviant' life experiences we thought we might find in the family history - but a divine miracle? How many can claim that for their family's ag labs and paupers?!! Of course, we assumed that his gt-grandfather had been too distraught when he'd registered the baby's birth in January 1873 and he'd got the 3 dates of the birth, death and funeral muddled. Or pehaps he was quietly spoken. Or perhaps he had a speech defect - his wife's maiden name on the baby's birth certificate was written as 'Saunders' instead of 'Shone' Or, perhaps he had a wife and a mistress; and one died and the other gave birth . . . or . . . or . . . or! Anyway, time passes and brick walls tend to crack before they collapse . . .. Gt-grandfather hailed from Oxfordshire but moved to St Pancras in his childhood for which area there is now a wonderful resource of burial/cremation records at deceasedonline.com. This confirmed gt-grandmother's burial on 11 December 1872. But it was a new addition of London baptismal records at ancestry.co.uk that straightenend out Grandfather's birth date - born on 26 Oct 1872; his birth not registered until 4 Jan 1873; his baptism held on 19 Jan 1873. But mother's surname is, again, recorded as 'Saunders' not 'Shone'. I've often wondered if the surname 'Shone' is ever pronounced as something like 'Shawner' - does anyone know? So far, it's been very worthwhile re-checking a subscription website I don't use regularly and keeping a lookout for new websites - but I guess I'll be a long time waiting for a roll call of extra-marital partners! Best wishes, Carole (from Devon) ******************* ----- Original Message ----- From: Chris Howes To: 'Oxfordshire genealogy group' Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2011 12:14 PM Subject: [OXF] Date discrepancy Has anyone any thoughts on a date discrepancy, as to why it might occur or which should be taken as the more accurate? I have a record of a death of Archie Dunkley in Long Hanborough. The death certificate states 3 August 1918, informant his daughter on the 5th; he died of cancer at only 46. The gravestone and probate both state that he died on 4 August. I'm taking a guess that the gravestone is most likely to be correct, backed up by the probate record, though of course the death certificate I guess should be the definitive record but I can see where a mistake might be made. Informant a 14 year old daughter named Lillian, a registrar in Witney making a mistake ... Would this have required travel by Lillian to Witney? What was required to register a death in those days; the doctor pronouncing death helping? Someone came to you, you sent a letter, what? Thanks for any thoughts. Chris Howes

In my many years experience as a registrar, I would say that the informant told the registrar that she disagreed with the doctor's certificate (this often happened particularly with deaths around midnight, but also because doctor's are quite likely to be wrong when writing out the medical certificate and the registrar would take the information from the informant. The informant had another chance to amend the date when asked to read the entry and confirm its accuracy before signing. All good wishes Catherine ----- Original Message ----- From: "The Quineys" <ftree@quineyclan.force9.co.uk> To: <oxfordshire@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2011 5:56 PM Subject: Re: [OXF] Date discrepancy > > I know that my grandmother's headstone doesn't agree with her death > certificate by one day. She died overnight at a care home and my > grandfather disagreed with the exact date ... was it evening of one day > or early morning of the next? It's hard to tell. > Heather > > > > On 23/06/2011 12:14, Chris Howes wrote: >> Has anyone any thoughts on a date discrepancy, as to why it might occur >> or >> which should be taken as the more accurate? >> >> I have a record of a death of Archie Dunkley in Long Hanborough. The >> death >> certificate states 3 August 1918, informant his daughter on the 5th; he >> died >> of cancer at only 46. The gravestone and probate both state that he died >> on >> 4 August. I'm taking a guess that the gravestone is most likely to be >> correct, backed up by the probate record, though of course the death >> certificate I guess should be the definitive record but I can see where a >> mistake might be made. Informant a 14 year old daughter named Lillian, a >> registrar in Witney making a mistake ... >> >> Would this have required travel by Lillian to Witney? What was required >> to >> register a death in those days; the doctor pronouncing death helping? >> Someone came to you, you sent a letter, what? >> >> Thanks for any thoughts. >> >> Chris Howes >> > > _____________________________________________ > > Oxfordshire Surname Interest list - www.oxsil.org.uk Have you entered your > names of interest? > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > OXFORDSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I know that my grandmother's headstone doesn't agree with her death certificate by one day. She died overnight at a care home and my grandfather disagreed with the exact date ... was it evening of one day or early morning of the next? It's hard to tell. Heather On 23/06/2011 12:14, Chris Howes wrote: > Has anyone any thoughts on a date discrepancy, as to why it might occur or > which should be taken as the more accurate? > > I have a record of a death of Archie Dunkley in Long Hanborough. The death > certificate states 3 August 1918, informant his daughter on the 5th; he died > of cancer at only 46. The gravestone and probate both state that he died on > 4 August. I'm taking a guess that the gravestone is most likely to be > correct, backed up by the probate record, though of course the death > certificate I guess should be the definitive record but I can see where a > mistake might be made. Informant a 14 year old daughter named Lillian, a > registrar in Witney making a mistake ... > > Would this have required travel by Lillian to Witney? What was required to > register a death in those days; the doctor pronouncing death helping? > Someone came to you, you sent a letter, what? > > Thanks for any thoughts. > > Chris Howes >

Thanks Karen, Jean, Tony. Good thoughts ... > but I can't see how the registration date could be before the actual date of death. The sequence would have potentially been death on 3rd (certificate) death on 4th (probate, gravestone) Registration 5th (whatever happened, it was registered after the date for death, so there's no discrepancy here) Thanks again for ideas Chris

Personally, I'd go with the certificate. I'm sure the detail of the procedure has changed over the years, but now the date on the registrar's certificate would reflect the date on the form that the doctor completes with the cause of death. I guess it could be that someone dying late in the evening is recorded as having died the following day by the time the certification was done ... but I can't see how the registration date could be before the actual date of death. Memory plays tricks on even close relatives: I know someone who several times quoted one date for the death of their spouse, when it actually occurred the previous afternoon ... and had wrongly completed it on the form for the church's book and garden of remembrance until I spotted it in time! I guess if I hadn't, then the church records would have remained wrong. Karen On 23 June 2011 12:14, Chris Howes <descent@wildplaces.co.uk> wrote: > Has anyone any thoughts on a date discrepancy, as to why it might occur or > which should be taken as the more accurate? > > I have a record of a death of Archie Dunkley in Long Hanborough. The death > certificate states 3 August 1918, informant his daughter on the 5th; he > died > of cancer at only 46. The gravestone and probate both state that he died on > 4 August. I'm taking a guess that the gravestone is most likely to be > correct, backed up by the probate record, though of course the death > certificate I guess should be the definitive record but I can see where a > mistake might be made. Informant a 14 year old daughter named Lillian, a > registrar in Witney making a mistake ... > > Would this have required travel by Lillian to Witney? What was required to > register a death in those days; the doctor pronouncing death helping? > Someone came to you, you sent a letter, what? >