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From: "Nelson Denton" <>
Subject: Re: [ONTARIO] Birth Dates- a warning
Date: Sat, 23 May 2009 12:32:47 -0400
References: <C208944629FB45C1B0C34142820583AD@D68898C1><4A152221.31302.A900D4@localhost><F99547EC271542A7B87B5D342256EA8A@glenscomputer>


Remember when doing calculations that our ancestors did not all use the same
calenders we do. Many countries and towns still used the Julian calender
long after the Gregorian Calender was introduced, and not every person
calculated leap years etc. into the numbers. The first day of the year also
varies from place to place. Many old records used May 1 etc. as the start
for the new year hence the "1/12/1701- 1702" we see in many transcriptions
made worse by those who attempt to "correct" the dates to Dec 1 1702 or Jan
12 1703 or should that be May 12 1701? based on a May New Year?

Dates are often those when records were written down as well. When
somebody heard that cousin Mary had a baby they may have written that day's
date in the family bible even though the baby was born months earlier (snail
mail). Baptisms are usually within a month of two of birth for major cities
but in the country it was often many months or years before a saddle bag
minister could perform a baptism. Adult baptisms were of course very common
for those who follow the Anabaptist movement or who joined another sect.

Like hand grenades and nuclear bombs. Close counts! Unless you have 12
people in the same small village all named Eliza Jane Smith!

Nelson Denton

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