[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] varying dates

[gpvjem]

    When compiling the Volhynian St Petersburg databases, it was not unusual to find the date of baptism noted preceding the date of birth by many days and sometimes weeks.  German Lutheran records from Poland often show discepancies of age from one event to another of several years.  My conclusion is that people didn't concern themselves too much about their exact age and dates as we do now.
    Did they even have calendars to refer to in their homes?

John Marsch

--------------------------------------------------------


  One issue could be the confusion between birth and baptism dates. My aunts
  and uncles say that they always acknowledged their father's birthdate on 23
  April, 1878, and that is the date on his death certificate and obituary.
  But, according to the original parish records, and also his U.S.
  naturalization info, my grandfather was born on 10 April, 1878, According to
  the parish records, he was clearly born on 10 April, and baptised on 23
  April. The family Bible shows the month and year, but has a smudge over the
  numerical date. The date of baptism must have been significant enough for my
  grandfather to confuse the two at some point, or for some reason to use the
  baptism date rather than the birth date when telling people when he was
  born.

  Sue Eipert
  srlists at eipertinfo.com

  -----Original Message-----
  From: ger-poland-volhynia-bounces at eclipse.sggee.org
  [mailto:ger-poland-volhynia-bounces at eclipse.sggee.org]On Behalf Of
  Margrit Weigel
  Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 5:46 AM
  To: ger-poland-volhynia at eclipse.sggee.org
  Subject: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] varying dates


  I have some "problems" with slightly different dates. After the SGGEE
  database my gr gr grandmother Friederike Hildebrandt, nee Krueger, was born
  May 5th 1844  and died May 20th 1937. In the "Wolhynischen Heften Nr.1"
  there is a story of a tombstone  which still exists in Korist where she
  lived and died. On this stone you find a Friederike Hildebrandt *Feb 22nd
  1844 and died March 09th1937. On the same stone you find the names of her
  sons Gustav (*Feb.02.1878) and Ferdinand   (*Jul 24th 1880). But the dates
  we know are for Gustav *1877 and for Ferdinand *Jul13,1879 and death
  Oct16,1904 in Korist (on the tombstone his day of death is known as oct
  14.1904).

  So I am rather sure that here my ancestors are buried. Does anybody else has
  experience with differing dates?

  Futheron, even my father (born Oct 03, 1931) always told that he believed
  that he had another
  birthday when he was small. Unfortunately there is noone left anymore whom I
  could ask. Could it perhaps be an advantage to be older or younger in the
  thirties in Volhynia?

  If somebody has an idea, I would appreciate every answer.

  Margrit Weigel
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