Lies and fibs in SR

[SarahND]

Hi Katherine,

I wonder if the presence of witnesses for the MCs, particularly if the witnesses weren't close family members, would prod people into cleaning up the facts a little.

I have certainly seen a number of them that don't happen to mention that the parents weren't ever married (and were in fact married to other people)

Would the registrar have known the folk in the parish well enough to know if she lied and flat out made up ficticious parents?

This would depend on the size of the parish. I asked a similar question once and the answer was that in a big city, just about anything was possible... but in a village, of course, you couldn't get away with as much!

All the best,
Sarah

[Carolann]

Hi

On my husbands side his GGGrandather at the time of his marriage was a Shore Labourer?and couldn't write but by the the time his second child was born he could sign his name and was a Police Constable. Strange but definetely the same people.

Carol

[DavidWW]

Hi

On my husbands side his GGGrandather at the time of his marriage was a Shore Labourer?and couldn't write but by the the time his second child was born he could sign his name and was a Police Constable. Strange but definetely the same people.

Carol

Carol

Strange

Not really

Think of all the people that you know.

I'll put serious money on the fact that there's one or more who, for whatever reason, didn't receive the benefits of a standard, basic education, but, later in life, in their late teens, or 20s, or later, went out there and got their education via evening classes, etc. ............

David

[Mairi]

On one DC, occupation; wine and spirit taster. Promotion? Don't think so-----he was a joiner.
Wonder if his wife/widow gave that information or whether doctor knew his occupation for some time!
Mairi

[sheilajim]

Hi All

There are some people who really did come up in life. I am researching a possible relative, who starts out as a servant for a Miller, at a very young age, then he becomes a Farmer of 25 acres. He marries the Miller's sister, and he is listed as a Miller in later censuses, and has servants of his own. He must have started his own mill because the brother-in-law is still listed as a Miller at another address.

Things change over time, because in the 1901 Census he is listed as a Carpenter, living with his wife, but now no servants. I am sure that I have the same person, because his address doesn't change much. I have not as yet looked up his Death Cert.

Regards

Sheila

[LesleyB]

Hi all
The strangest one I have is this guy:

• 1881 aged 16, an apprentice bell hanger, Edinburgh
  1885 Sculptor Journeyman, on wedding entry
  1887 Monumental Mason on birth of daughter
  1890 Marble Cutter on daughter's birth entry
  1891 aged 26, Marble Cutter, Edinburgh
  1892 General Labourer, Glasgow , birth of son.
  1901 aged 36 Musical Instrument Maker, back in Edinburgh
  
  ....Piano tuner at time of death in 1942

I had problems believing it was the same guy at times... There is a kind of theme to it all, but it's a more varied career than most of his day!

Best wishes
Lesley

[trish1]

My favorite was a ggg Aunt who 1851 through 1881 was the wife of a gardener.

In 1891 living with her sister - both widows - she became the widow of a farmer

Trish