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Got a bit of a puzzle –

I have found a baby, born 7 May 1911, who seems to be recorded on the 1911 census in rural Nottinghamshire, England. But the census was taken on 2 Apr 1911. How is this possible?

He is listed as "unnamed baby", under one month. It looks like he was added on in a different handwriting.

Birth date is confirmed on both birth and death certificates, and 1939 Register.

As the baby is not named, I suppose it is possible that it was a different baby, but this seems unlikely as there are no likely candidates among relatives and no other male babies with this surname born in the area in that quarter.

If he was born within a few days of census date, I wouldn't have thought anything of it. But born over a month later? Is it possible the census form was not collected for over a month, or is there another logical explanation?

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    Registration so late they falsified the birth date to avoid the fine? And then stuck with it through thick and thin? Only a guess, so not an answer.
    – user6485
    Commented Jun 7, 2020 at 19:19
  • @Cole A good thought but it seems that penalties for a late birth registration a month or two past the deadline were not enforced - see Penalty for late registration of birth in England?
    – Harry V. ♦
    Commented Jun 8, 2020 at 0:27
  • However it is a good point that the birth date could be fictitious. When I can I will check the baptism register to see if that helps confirm the birth date, though it will be some time before I can do that with the archives being closed.
    – Harry V. ♦
    Commented Jun 8, 2020 at 0:33
  • Would the parents know that the penalties weren't enforced?
    – user6485
    Commented Jun 8, 2020 at 5:00
  • Despite the penalties there were late registrations. I have details of a birth that was registered on 12 April 1892 giving the date of birth as 1 March 1892, I also have the corresponding entry from the baptism register which is dated 26 February 1892 which also, very helpfully, gives the date of birth: 30 January 1892!
    – Colin
    Commented Jun 9, 2020 at 8:32

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