How to Figure Dates from Tombstones
Courtesy of Jane Freese
Originally published in the Sun City Genealogist, Vol. IV, No. 2 (Summer 1983)
Let us say you have found the tombstone of an ancestor, and on that stone you find the date of his death and his age at death. You want to determine the date of his birth. He died April 16, 1904.
1904 (year) 4 (months) 16 (days)
he was
aged:
61 (years) 1 (month) 10 (days)
________________________________
1843
3
6
(March 6, 1843)
But, too often it is more complicated than that. He died April 16, 1904.
1904 (year) 4 (months) 16 (days)
he was
aged:
83 (years) 8 (months) 21 (days)
What you do is borrow 30 days from April for a total of 46 days -- and borrow 12 months from 1904 for a total of 15 months, having already borrowed a month. So you get:
1904 (year) 4 (months) 16 (days)
-1 (year) +12 (months)
- 1 (month) +30 days
_________________________________
1903 (year) 15 (months) 46 (days)
he was
aged:
83 (years) 8 (months) 21 (days)
_________________________________
he was
born:
1820 (year) 7 (months) 25
(days) (July 25, 1820)
To check this, say he was born July 25, 1820. He lived to the
age of 83 years, 8 months and 21 days. Put everything back that you have
borrowed:
1820 (year) 7
(months) 25 (days)
+83 (years) 8 (months) 21
(days)
___________________________________
1903 (year) 15
(months) 46 (days)
+1 (year) +1 (month)
-30 (days)
-12(months)
___________________________________
1904 (year) 4
(months) 16 (days)
********************************************************************************
Another Method - the 8870 FORMULA
When the age is given ion a tombstone or in an obituary, use the
formula of 8870 to determine the date of birth:
Died May 6, 1889
18890506
Aged 71y7m9d
-710709
___________
18179797
- 8870
___________
Born September 27,
1817
18170927
Home Table of Contents Cemeteries Home Page