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Davis, William 1811-1890

Cabinet Case Makers Davis

Cabinet Case Makers Davis

New Member
William Davis was born in Birmingham. It is likely he married Ann Smith at St Philips on 2 Dec 1831. At each census they both record their ages as 40, 50, 60, 70 before their demise. William had a son John born 1833 in Birmingham. Then the family move to Sheffield, from where my father originates. Daughter Lucy is born 1841 in Sheffield so the migration happens there somewhere. I'm having trouble finding a birth record for William - the only one possible would mean at each census he would be 39, 49, 59, 69. I am also a Davis and this would be my paternal line. William, John and most of the male relatives were Cabinet Case Makers.

Can anyone help, produce some birth evidential magic or put me at ease that people didn't count very well in the 1800s?
 
Ages are not recorded very accurately. I would be inclined to accept one which is only a year out. On the 1841 census ages were rounded down to the nearest multiple of 5 for anyone over 15. My Gran, born 1891, always said "we did it by guesswork in those days". This was in answer to my Dad trying to find out why the life insurances on my Grandad had different years of birth.
Were William's parents William and Esther? If so he was baptised on 6th April 1801 (at St Philips) . There is also a William son of Thomas and Ann baptised on 13 November 1800 (at St Martins). So little info is on these records that it is guesswork.
 
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