PolishOrigins(TM) Forum

Re: Discrepancy in Date of Birth

Lisa — Fri Sep 03, 2010 8:43 am

Author: Lisa

Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 8:43 am

Once again I must thank you, Zenon, for the information you sent to me regarding the discrepancy in my great-grandmother's birth.

It certainly was a mystery to us all. Even her two surviving children weren't sure of her exact date of birth!

You are a wealth of knowledge, and I'm very grateful for all the help you have given me.

Thanks for solving another mystery for us!

Lisa

Re: Discrepancy in Date of Birth

Zenon — Fri Sep 03, 2010 6:57 am

Author: Zenon

Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 6:57 am

As a curiosity regarding birth date I can add this. This is not so rarely that I find, especially in birth records, that the age of mother is often "not precise", to put it mildly. Example: there are three children born every second year from the same father and mother and in all three baptism records mother is always... 30 years of age .

Recently, I even found baptism records where mother was 37 and one year later she was 33 .

That's why it is so important to focus on primary sources, which in case of birth are baptism/birth records, not marriage nor death records.

Re: Discrepancy in Date of Birth

Lisa — Sun Aug 29, 2010 6:00 pm

Author: Lisa

Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2010 6:00 pm

Thanks, Boskee, for answering my question regarding the celebration of birthdays and imieniny!

Lisa

Re: Discrepancy in Date of Birth

boskee — Sat Aug 28, 2010 10:35 pm

Author: boskee

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 10:35 pm

We celebrate both birthday and imieniny. Personally birthday is much more important to me, but some people think imieniny are.

Re: Discrepancy in Date of Birth

Lisa — Sat Aug 28, 2010 9:18 pm

Author: Lisa

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 9:18 pm

Was/is it common in Poland to celebrate the feast day of the saint you were named for rather than your actual birthday?

Re: Discrepancy in Date of Birth

James — Fri Aug 27, 2010 8:47 am

Author: James

Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 8:47 am

Hi Lisa,

The days of the month would be different if they were recorded in the Russian controlled section of Poland, because the Russians used a calender that was different by a couple of fewer days , than our calenders today.
The year difference could be for a multitude of reasons; poor math skills, person wanting to be younger/older than they really were, language barrier, person who gave the information was not sure of the official date, etc....

I've learned to accept a few years difference of more or less, as long as all of the other information matches up.

James

Discrepancy in Date of Birth

Lisa — Fri Aug 27, 2010 8:31 am

Author: Lisa

Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 8:31 am

My great-grandmother's baptismal record lists her as being born in Konczyska, Poland on December 17, 1879.

Yesterday I obtained a copy of her death certificate. (She came to the U.S. in 1912.) I was surprised to see her date of birth listed as December 21, 1881.

Would anyone know why there would be such a discrepancy?

Thanks!

Lisa