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

Chris: >The gravestone and probate both state that he died on 4 August. Gravestones are often made from memory long after the actual event, so I wouldn't rely on that. Probate could be similar, and the document would likely be dated. Regards, John Moore

People often die at night. Every night spans two dates, and every date includes parts of two night. Tony 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? > > 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 > -- Tony Hadland www.hadland.net Oxfordshire, England

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