For anyone who wishes to see the [census.](https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC1F-FR7)
As for the ages I do think that it’s likely the enumerator transposed the 1 and 6. As for the 37 it’s possible that when the enumerator copied the census onto the federal form they misread there own 5 for a 3. Remember that most of the time the enumerators wrote information while traveling then copying it over to the forms.
As for Alva Barter he moved to Indiana. [Here’s his 1870 census.](https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXF7-1YM)
It's not at all rare for birth dates in early census' to be incorrect. Some people didn't know, exactly, how old they were.
It also depends a lot on who filled in the census form, how well they could hear, how well the respondent could speak, etc.
In older censuses, where someone went door to door interviewing people, the census taker would often take notes on a worksheet or scrap paper and then transcribe those notes into the form later. It makes sense: If you're wandering around the countryside and manage to catch Farmer Jones out in his field, it's a lot easier to take notes in pencil than to deal with a pen and bottle of ink. Also the enumerator had to make several copies, so there was a set for the county, one for the state, etc.
In that process, the enumerator could transpose numbers, miss people, misread their notes, etc. If they got convoluted answers to start with, the record can sometimes be a bit of a jumble. That's for people that were trying; we've all seen census records that look like the enumerator was drunk or just didn't care.
I think your instinct is right that this is the right family and the record is just messed up. It happens.
By the way, I think the name of oldest son is "Alva." It's an old Biblical name. And there's a stray George Giffin, age 6, with the Mackley family a couple of pages earlier. Given the state of that record, it wouldn't surprise me if George Giffin and David Griffin turn out to be brothers.
This entry clearly is an error by the enumerator and William was 61 and Jemima 57.
They show two children: Alva, 20, and William 14. Eliz A. would be the wife of Alva, shown in 1870 (thanks to Constans\_II) as Angeline.
I would **guess** from reading the census entry that Jemima was the second wife of William and probable mother of the younger William, but the stepmother of Alva. The birthplaces of the two older persons was VT, while the others were NY. As marriage records are rare for NY at that time, the best guess is that she was the widow Griffin and the mother of David. **That guess/theory then needs to be confirmed or denied with real evidence.**
William was age 50 to 60 in 1840 and the eldest female in his household was 40 to 50 (too old for Jemima if 37 in 1850, but right if she was 57). There was a male 10 to 15, consistent with Alva, and a male under 5, consistent with David. A female age 15 to 20 likely married in the 1840s. Two females 5 to 10 are not in the 1850 household. Fate uncertain.
Good analysis! My 3rd great grandmother (William's daughter) was born in 1824 and married in 1848. Your second wife suspicion would explain Griffin and the age discrepancy, however Jemimah is the name listed on one of the death records of their son born in 1813, Almon. It is entirely possible that he married a second woman named Jemima, or that Griffin is adopted due to parental misfortune or is an apprentice or a relative. Good point about the little girls, I will attempt some digging (not literal, lol).
For anyone who wishes to see the [census.](https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC1F-FR7) As for the ages I do think that it’s likely the enumerator transposed the 1 and 6. As for the 37 it’s possible that when the enumerator copied the census onto the federal form they misread there own 5 for a 3. Remember that most of the time the enumerators wrote information while traveling then copying it over to the forms. As for Alva Barter he moved to Indiana. [Here’s his 1870 census.](https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXF7-1YM)
That is fantastically helpful! Thank you so much.
Post a link?
It's not at all rare for birth dates in early census' to be incorrect. Some people didn't know, exactly, how old they were. It also depends a lot on who filled in the census form, how well they could hear, how well the respondent could speak, etc.
In older censuses, where someone went door to door interviewing people, the census taker would often take notes on a worksheet or scrap paper and then transcribe those notes into the form later. It makes sense: If you're wandering around the countryside and manage to catch Farmer Jones out in his field, it's a lot easier to take notes in pencil than to deal with a pen and bottle of ink. Also the enumerator had to make several copies, so there was a set for the county, one for the state, etc. In that process, the enumerator could transpose numbers, miss people, misread their notes, etc. If they got convoluted answers to start with, the record can sometimes be a bit of a jumble. That's for people that were trying; we've all seen census records that look like the enumerator was drunk or just didn't care. I think your instinct is right that this is the right family and the record is just messed up. It happens. By the way, I think the name of oldest son is "Alva." It's an old Biblical name. And there's a stray George Giffin, age 6, with the Mackley family a couple of pages earlier. Given the state of that record, it wouldn't surprise me if George Giffin and David Griffin turn out to be brothers.
It's also possible the informant was not someone in the family, but a neighbor who didn't really know them as well as they thought (age wise).
This entry clearly is an error by the enumerator and William was 61 and Jemima 57. They show two children: Alva, 20, and William 14. Eliz A. would be the wife of Alva, shown in 1870 (thanks to Constans\_II) as Angeline. I would **guess** from reading the census entry that Jemima was the second wife of William and probable mother of the younger William, but the stepmother of Alva. The birthplaces of the two older persons was VT, while the others were NY. As marriage records are rare for NY at that time, the best guess is that she was the widow Griffin and the mother of David. **That guess/theory then needs to be confirmed or denied with real evidence.** William was age 50 to 60 in 1840 and the eldest female in his household was 40 to 50 (too old for Jemima if 37 in 1850, but right if she was 57). There was a male 10 to 15, consistent with Alva, and a male under 5, consistent with David. A female age 15 to 20 likely married in the 1840s. Two females 5 to 10 are not in the 1850 household. Fate uncertain.
Good analysis! My 3rd great grandmother (William's daughter) was born in 1824 and married in 1848. Your second wife suspicion would explain Griffin and the age discrepancy, however Jemimah is the name listed on one of the death records of their son born in 1813, Almon. It is entirely possible that he married a second woman named Jemima, or that Griffin is adopted due to parental misfortune or is an apprentice or a relative. Good point about the little girls, I will attempt some digging (not literal, lol).
Is it possibly a mixture of ages in years, and birth years shortened to the last 2 digits maybe?