Discrepancies in age in Registers and Tombstones

[MarkCDodd]

Researchers in Shropshire have been comparing the stated ages at death (not calculated) in the register and comparing them to what is recorded on the tombstone/memorial.

In 6% of cases they do not match.

Usually the difference is one or two years (nearly alwyas older on the tombstone/memorial) but the biggest so far is 9 years.

I think we all have relatives fibbing about their age in census and on wedding certificates.

Seems like a good percentage have confused their relatives so much that their real age is unknown when they kick the bucket.