Hi, Could someone check the date of birth and christening of John, The GRO has his birth as 3q 1878. MONKS, John (of 151 Lord St, born 1879-08-21).
Baptised October 14, 1879, by F. Williams at St Luke, Dyers Hill.
Parents name(s) are Martha & Thomas (Pocket Knife Grinder).

Hi Barry,

The writing is not the best and it is on FMP. I used a fiche when I transcribed it.

I believe that the Vicar had the birth year as 1878 and then changed it to 1879.

The baptism date is the 14th Oct 1879. There is a 15th further down the page which doesn't look like the 14th.

Elaine.

Thanks Elaine.

John Munks (as transcribed but looks more like Muuks) age 2 at the 3 April 1881 census (1 Court 23 Lord St, with matching parents Thomas & Martha and brother Thomas 5)
If born August 1878 would be a bit over 2½ and a good match.
If born August 1879 would be a bit over 1½.

Hi Terry,
As you are probably already aware, census records are notoriously incorrect.
Also I read somewhere, the recorded ages were projected to the age the person would be at their next birthday, which opens up a whole new ball game with John Monks etc.
HAPPY HUNTING:sleuth_or_spy:

PS: I am currently having trouble with my IP address and am using a temporary gmail, so would appreciate no answers coming to my inbox for now. I will just keep checking back. Thanks.

“As you are probably already aware, census records are notoriously incorrect.” I don’t think they are “notoriously incorrect” but accept they can often/sometimes be unreliable.

So try another tack.

If the parents are Thomas Monks & Hannah Pryor, married Sheffield March quarter 1875, then consider these births (GRO):

MONKS, THOMAS PRYOR
GRO Reference: 1875 June Quarter in SHEFFIELD Volume 09C Page 475

MONKS, JOHN PRYOR
GRO Reference: 1878 December Quarter in SHEFFIELD Volume 09C Page 481

MONKS, WALTER PRYOR
GRO Reference: 1879 September Quarter in SHEFFIELD Volume 09C Page 485

MONKS, MARY ELLEN PRYOR
GRO Reference: 1883 March Quarter in SHEFFIELD Volume 09C Page 484

The 1879 Walter is probably this Walter of Lord Street in the burial records here:
MONKS, Walter (Son of Thomas Monks, age 4 months).
Died at Lord Street, Park; Buried on November 26, 1879 in General ground;
Grave Number 45, Section Q of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield.

If the Monks-Pryor parents are all the same couple, then an August 1879 birth of John would have been within months / weeks of Walter. This would not be possible unless they were twins. I see no evidence of that.

And another child death (same father, address & grave as Walter)
MONKS, Geo (Son of Thos Monks, age 3 months).
Died at Lord Street; Buried on January 2, 1881 in General ground;
Grave Number 45, Section Q of Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield.

Sad.

I just wonder if he was in fact baptised aged 1 and because the baptism date was 1879 the vicar assumed the birth year was 1879.