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Birth registration

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mycroft

mycroft Report 23 Jul 2022 10:46

Hi
I have found a baptism for David woods in 1813 Godalming Surry.
But on the 1861 and 1881 census he has his birth as 1811.

I am unable to find the registration of his Birth either 1811 or 1813 or anywhere in between. Can anyone explain why this would be.

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 23 Jul 2022 11:01

Civil Registration came into force on 1st July 1837 - that's why ;-)

SuffolkVera

SuffolkVera Report 23 Jul 2022 11:22

As ErkaH says registration came into force in 1837 but it wasn't compulsory until 1875. There's no reason why he couldn't be born in 1811 and not baptised till 1813. Not all children were baptised as babies.

greyghost

greyghost Report 23 Jul 2022 14:11

Are you looking at a Blacksmith b Godalming on those census you mention

If I'm looking at the same person as you, the 1871 gives 1809 and 1851 gives 1815 as birth year - take your pick which is correct.

It's always easy to be a year out , even if the right age is given -
Census asks for age and then birth year worked out ie 1871 aged 10 = born 1861

Actually could have been born anytime post 1860 census and pre 1861 census.

People back then weren't so accurate about dates / ages

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 23 Jul 2022 14:29

If he’s the one who died in 1884, his age then was given as 73

alviegal

alviegal Report 23 Jul 2022 17:55

From freereg no mention of birth date.

County Surrey
Place (Links to more information) Godalming
Church name (Links to more information) St Peter and St Paul
Register type (Links to more information) Other Transcript
Baptism date 11 Apr 1813
Person forename David
Person sex M
Father forename Abraham
Mother forename Mary
Father surname WOODS
Person abode Crownpits
Father occupation Frameworkknitter

Gwyn in Kent

Gwyn in Kent Report 23 Jul 2022 18:29

Ancestry has images of the parish registers of St Peter and St Paul, Godalming showing several children of Abraham and Mary.
They include baptisms in 1810 and 1815, as the children baptised before and after David in 1813.

About 1812, the format changed for recording baptisms in the register, but as stated, David need not have been a young baby.

alviegal

alviegal Report 23 Jul 2022 19:18

James WOODS Baptism 18 Sep 1803 Surrey Godalming : St Peter and St Paul : Other Transcript

Henry WOODS Baptism 26 Feb 1806 Surrey Godalming : St Peter and St Paul : Other Transcript

George WOODS Baptism 25 Dec 1807 Surrey Godalming : St Peter and St Paul : Other Transcript

Charles WOODS Baptism 15 Jul 1810 Surrey Godalming : St Peter and St Paul : Other Transcript

David WOODS Baptism 11 Apr 1813 Surrey Godalming : St Peter and St Paul : Other Transcript

Thomas WOODS Baptism 23 Jul 1815 Surrey Godalming : St Peter and St Paul : Other Transcript

Isaac WOODS Baptism 31 May 1818 Surrey Godalming : St Peter and St Paul : Other Transcript

Children born to Abraham and Mary.

mycroft

mycroft Report 24 Jul 2022 09:03

Thank you all for your hard work
Mycroft