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Did my cousin live in 3 different centuries?

Discussion in 'General Genealogical Queries' started by webwiz, Jul 16, 2021.

  1. webwiz

    webwiz LostCousins Star

    Name Winifred Minnie E Colthup

    Death date Jan 2001
    Death place Crawley, West Sussex, England
    Birth date Aug 8 1900
    District code 7801b
    Registration # B51a
    Entry # 221

    Since the first century AD had 100 years, and the first year was 1AD then the last year was 100AD and all following centuries started with a year ending in 1 and finished in a year ending 00. By this logic Winifred lived in the 18C, 19C and 20C. Who agrees?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 16, 2021
    webwiz, Jul 16, 2021
    #1
    • Agree Agree x 3
  2. Bob Spiers

    Bob Spiers LostCousins Superstar

    Whilst I somewhat reluctantly have to agree (I dislike pedantic logic as I do when told an 80 year old -81 if you must - has reached their 9th decade). However your viewpoint happens to agree with my wife's own and caused her to object to the Millennium being celebrated in 2000. I could see no fault with it, after all why would we wait to celebrate the historic arrival of the 2000's until the year 2001?

    Saying Winnie's life spanned 3 centuries is the stuff of quizzes, whereas I would just applaud Winnine reaching her centenary and being on her way to 101, a sufficient feat in itself, even if not so uncommon these days as in the past.
     
    Last edited: Jul 17, 2021
    Bob Spiers, Jul 17, 2021
    #2
  3. peter

    peter Administrator Staff Member

    Someone is considered to be in their 60s from ages 60 to 69, in their 70s from 70 to 79 and so on. Similarly, when someone reaches 80 we talk about them being in their 9th decade. Bob might not like it, but I don't think he and his wife would disagree about it.

    The debate regarding when a century starts and ends is a direct consequence of the fact that there was no year 0.

    Why was there no year 0? Because the concept of zero had not reached Europe at the time BC/AD was invented nearly 1500 years ago. If it had, nobody in their right minds would have chosen a system where the number of years between a date in 100BC and the corresponding date in 100AD is 199 years, rather than 200.

    Those who forget the lessons of history are condemned to repeat them....
     
    peter, Jul 17, 2021
    #3
  4. webwiz

    webwiz LostCousins Star

    So has anyone got anybody in their tree who is recorded in living in 3 centuries by the commonly accepted, if illogical, definition?
     
    webwiz, Jul 17, 2021
    #4
  5. peter

    peter Administrator Staff Member

    According to the GRO death indexes at Findmypast there were 6261 people who died in England & Wales between 2000-2007 who were born between 1889-1899.

    For comparison, a century earlier only 119 of those who died between 1900-1910 who were born between 1789-1799 (based on the age on the death certificate).
     
    peter, Jul 17, 2021
    #5
    • Thanks! Thanks! x 2

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