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Archiver > NYC-ROOTS > 1999-10 > 0938788710


From: Marion G Snedecor <>
Subject: [NYC] Re: Census instructions needed
Date: Fri, 01 Oct 1999 10:38:30 EDT


Remember folks that years ago , before Social Security started many
people lied about their age and for various reasons. When studying
census records be aware that the head of the house was supposed to
answer the census taker, but if the head of the house was not avaiable it
would be the next person that was home. In many cases the father didn't
know the correct age of his children, some persons didn't even know
their own birth date. Many had lied for years because they had lied
about their age to get a job when they were too young to work or to just
appear older and more reliable. Some wanted to be older or younger to be
eligible to marry someone older or younger than themselves. Ladies
didn't admit how old they were and it was a subject that polite people
would not discuss. Ladies were not supposed to tell their age. They
wanted others to think that they were mucn younger than they were,
perhaps in some cases, so that they would seem more elligible for
marriage.

When Social Security came along you had to tell the truth, at least
officially. My own father always looked 10 years younger than his age
and to keep employed he pretended to be younger. During the great
depression everyone was being laid off, but he was an excellent worker
and they kept him on in spite of his age. Had they known his true age he
surely would have been out.

Ages in censuses often are wrong.

Marion

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