searchmyancestry – Ruth A. Symes
Innovative approaches to understanding more about your family history
Some people falsely added years to their age on the 1911 census in order to qualify for the old-age pension (to which some people over 70 were entitled from January 1st 1909). Black and White Image of an Elderly Woman by Chalmers Butterfield, Via Wikimedia Commons
Some women described themselves as ‘widows’ on censuses in order that they did not have to explain that their husbands had been imprisoned or transported. James Tissot, A Widow (1868), Via Wikipedia Commons.
Delighted to announce the publication of my article on Marriage Mishaps in November 2025’s Discover Your Ancestors online periodical (by subscription). http://www.discoveryourancestors.com No-shows at the altar, mixups with the marriage vows and umpteen weddings that were stalled at the eleventh hour !
searchmyancestry - Ruth A. Symes 