Wrong age on 4 marriage certificates

I am wondering if putting down an incorrect age is a normally accepted thing from the 1920's. On the marriage certificate for my grandmother, it has her listed as 18 yrs old when she actually is 17yrs 8 mos. On the certificate it would indicate she would have been born in 1903 not 1904. Then with her 1st child (born in 1925) her age indicates she was born in 1903 not 1904. Then with her 2nd child (born in 1928) her age indicates she may have been born in 1902. Her 3rd child born in 1931 shows her age as being 28 would indicate a 1903 birth year. Back then, would the church require some kind of id or proof of age in order to marry? If my grandmother had to prove how old she was at the time of marriage, would this information have been recorded?

It may all depend where exactly she was born, that is in which country. Have a look at map of Poland in 1902/04.

I have come across something similar before. When asked about ages, in Poland people usually say 'I finished/ended 17' which would suppose that they are now 18, but it turns out that they have just had their 17th birthday, so it is likely that when asked she did not say 'I am 17' but I have passed 17' and someone assumed that she was 18.

Unless you can find parish records (church records) to prove the actual date of birth, you are lost.

Also you have to find out what her parents did at the time of her birth in 1902, 1903 or 1904. If they were in service/working the fields for a landowner, it is likely that she would not have been registered until much later.

My grandmother was born in the village of Kropiwki, NE of Lublin. Most of the paperwork has her birth listed for 1904. But that book cannot be found. I do not know what her parents did. All I know of them is they were born about 1864/5 and married by 1884. One clue I have is my grandmothers' father was also born in the same village. I have been told she had a brother but not when he was born or died.

You'd have to look for her birth record or alternatively her marriage record - I believe they had to show their birth/baptism certificate to marry. If she were under 18, she might have needed her parents' consent. As for giving the parents' age when reporting the birth of a child, it was quite common to see mistakes so looking for your ancestors always keep that in mind and and add /detract roughly two years.

Kaprys
I have the marriage certificate for my grandmother. I am having a problem in obtaining her birth certificate. Apparently the 1904 registry from the Greek Orthodox from what I have been, is missing. I do not know what her parents did unless there is a census record from that time that I could get a copy of.

Did any civil registration records from the town your grandparents were from survive the war? Those records are far more accurate than any church book entry.

@gjene
What does her marriage certificate say about her parents consent? And her age?
What sources have you looked through? What parish are we talking about?

I am not sure about parents consent. on the certificate it states her age as 18. Yet she was 4 months shy of being 18. The parish is in the Holowno from what I remember being told. I was able to obtain the marriage certificate and the 3 birth certificates from the Podedworze Administration Office. The church book with the births of 1904 is missing. That is why I was wondering if proof of age was needed for someone under 18 and if so, was it recorded.

searcharchives.pl/35/2399/0/-#tabZespol

There are Orthodox Christian birth records from 1904 from Holowno in Lublin state archives. You can try contacting them to ask if her birth is recorded there.

If you have the marriage certificate, it should contain information about her parents and if applicable their consent. You need to read into it.