Forum | PolishOrigins :: View topic - Discrepancy in Date of Birth

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Lisa

Joined: 20 Jun 2009
Replies: 88

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Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 8:31 am Post subject: Discrepancy in Date of Birth

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 Very Happy

James
PolishOrigins Team

Joined: 06 Jul 2007
Replies: 226
Location: WEST VIRGINIA , USA
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Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 8:47 am Post subject:

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

Lisa

Joined: 20 Jun 2009
Replies: 88

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Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 9:18 pm Post subject:

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

boskee

Joined: 19 Aug 2010
Replies: 2

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Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 10:35 pm Post subject:

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

Lisa

Joined: 20 Jun 2009
Replies: 88

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Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2010 6:00 pm Post subject:

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

Lisa Very Happy

Zenon
PolishOrigins Team Leader

Joined: 28 Apr 2007
Replies: 1515
Location: Poland
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Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 6:57 am Post subject:

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 Very Happy

.

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

.

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.

Lisa

Joined: 20 Jun 2009
Replies: 88

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Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 8:43 am Post subject:

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 Very Happy

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