After pouring over various census year pages for a number of my ancestors over the past several weeks. I have noticed....and I am sure that you have too in your own situations....that many of my ancestors didnt seem to know which state they were born in or how old they were from year to year. Many times the same ancestor would switch back and forth between Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, and Kentucky as his/her listed birthplace. Most of the time, they listed these different birthplaces when they were well young enough to remember where they had been born, for example, one ancestor in the 1860 census (when he was in his mid twenties) listed his birth in NC, then in the 1870 census listed his birthplace in TN, then in the 1900 census as North Carolina, etc. etc. At first I attributed this to failing memory in old age...but in many cases they couldnt make up their minds when they were obviously young enough to know bettor (or at least should have known better). Rember that this was generally in the early to mid 1800s when state borders were set as they are now and had not changed during the previous 30+ years or more. Also, I am increasingly mistified at how my ancestors didn't apparently know how old they were from year to year. I realize that when the census taker came 'round they probably just estimated as best they could how old they were, but as each census came around (every 10 years) it is not uncommon for some of my kin to age at a rate of 15 years....or even 7 or 8 years at a time??? Surely someone told them that the census was only taken every 10 years and not 12 years then 8 years then 15 years...? Again, this seems to happen when the kinfolk should have been young enough and of sufficiently clear mind to at least give consistent answers to the census man.....? ...do you folks run into these situations...or am I the odd man out.....any thoughts...? Ray Ezell, M.A., RPA Senior Archaeologist Michael Baker Jr., Inc. 5088 West Washington Street Second Floor Charleston, West Virginia 25313 304/769-2112 [email protected]