How common are age discrepancies between records in Mexico in the 1800s? Does a span of 7 years ind
This is my first visit to the Groups page, so forgive me if I don't do this correctly! I have found some documents (birth records of children to the couple) that I think are for my husband's great grandparents, who lived in Mexico (Sinaloa). The husband had a common name (Jose Maria Sanchez). Her name is Gumersinda Obeso and her birth year on the records are 1855, 1856, 1862... Is this much of a discrepancy common? Or does it indicate that there might be another couple with the same names? I don't want to start attaching sources and adding children to the wrong family.
Answers
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Welcome to Groups and thanks for sharing your question so we can help you!
Yes, I'd say discrepancies in parents' ages/birth years on children's birth records are fairly common in Mexico in that time period. Birth dates weren't as big of a deal back then as they are now, so many people actually didn't have a clear idea of how old they really were. It wasn't something the parish clerks were very concerned about getting accurate, either. (My great-grandpa was born in Mexico in 1909, but for the longest time we thought he was three years younger than he was, because his parents didn't get his birth registered until he was three, and for some reason the birth registration date stuck in everybody's heads - including his own - as his actual birth date.)
And I suspect some people liked to fudge their ages a bit on records to make themselves seem younger (or to feel younger). Notice how Gumersinda's birth year keeps getting pushed forward with each subsequent child, as though she is determined to stay the same age. 😉
As for the name situation, you're right, couples with the same names living in the same place can be difficult to differentiate, especially when there aren't census records to give "family snapshots". However, I'd say that if the births of the children make sense (no kids born just a few months apart, for example), they likely all belong to the same parents unless you can find evidence that proves otherwise. And Gumersinda is a very uncommon name, so I find it highly unlikely that Jose Maria married two women with that name.
One thing you might want to do is see if the children's grandparents are listed on the record. If all of the records give the same grandparents for all the children, then you'll know they're in the same family. Separate couples with identical names living in the same area are not uncommon, but separate couples with identical names and whose parents have identical names are next to impossible. Unless you happen to have one of those families that lived in a tight-knit community where they just kept re-using the same names for everybody, in which case that's a genealogist's nightmare (and yes, I know someone that has happened to).
I hope that helps!
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Thank you so much, Teresa! I attached about 15 documents on Sunday, and added several children. I think Gumesinda's age range expanded to 12 years in the process! It feels right to have them connected. I really appreciate your help.
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