1. Relating ages of family members:

a. If you know the age of one or more persons in the household it may be possible to relate the ages of persons of unknown age to those with known ages. For example, parents under normal circumstances can be 15 to 25 years older than their oldest child, depending on whether the parent is a woman or a man. Failing this, it may be possible to relate the number of rice or other annual crops sown since the occurrence of a marriage or birth.

b. In some areas where circumcision rites are performed when a child has reached a certain age, reference to when these rites should be or have boon performed on the person may provide good estimates of the person's age. In areas where the Poro or Sandi has operated, reference to attendance in such schools may provide estimates of the person's age.

2. The Estimation of Age on the Basis of Annual Groups:

a. Since most persons in the hinterland operate or work on small farms, it is often possible to estimate reasonably well the person's age and the ages of members of his household by reference to the number of times he has "made farm" since the occurrence of an event. This takes advantage of the fact that farms are made only once a year.

b. Since the most recent events are most readily recalled it is better to estimate the ages of children first, proceeding from the youngest to oldest.

c. Estimating Children's ages: Ask the head of the household: "how many times have you made farm since the birth of your youngest child?" Enter the answer in column (4) adjacent to the child's name. Then ask,'how many times did you make farm between the births of the next older child and the birth of the youngest child?" Add mentally the answer to the age of the youngest and enter the answer in column (4) adjacent to the child's name. If there are more than two children, repeat procedure of finding out the number of times farm was made between the birth of successively older children. Add this figure to the age of the younger of the two children and enter the younger of the two children and enter the answer in column (4). For example, suppose a family had three children. Farms have been made four times since the birth of the youngest child. The age of the youngest child is therefore four. This figure should be entered in column (4). Farms were made twice between the birth of the younger child and the next older child. The age of the next older child is six, the age of the youngest child plus the number of times farms was made between the birth of two children, six (6), should be entered in column (4) adjacent to the child's name. Farms were made three times between the births of the next oldest child (or middle child) and the oldest child. The age of the oldest child is therefore nine (the age of the next older child, plus the number of times farms were made between the next older child and the oldest child), nine (9) should be entered in Column (4). Circle each of these estimated ages.

d. Estimating the Mother's Age. Find out the number of times farm was made between the mother's marriage and the birth of her oldest child. Add this number to the age of the oldest child. Add fifteen (15) to the answer thus it the oldest child is nine years old and farm was made once between the birth of the oldest child and the mother's marriage, the mother should be approximately twenty-five years old, unless it is obvious that she is much older. In such a case the older age should be entered. Again, circle the estimated age.

e. Estimating the Father's Age. In general, the father's age can be approximated by adding 7 years to the age of the mother, unless it is obvious that the father is much older or somewhat younger. In such a case enter in Column (4) the age that seems most reasonably correct.

3. Relating Age to a Calendar of National, Local of International Historical events.

a. Although many people do not know what year they or others in the household were born, they may remember that they were born on or about the same time that a famous national, local or perhaps international event occurred. For example, they might know that they were born when World War II started (1939), then by subtraction you know that the person is 1974-1939 = 35 years old.
b. In some case the person knows that they were born before a given event but after another memorable occasion, such as born after president Tubman died but before President Tolbert's first Inauguration celebration, or, between 1971 and 1972.
c. In order to help you help people to estimate their age by relating it to some well-known event we have enclosed in the Appendix a Calendar of National and Local historic Events.

4. A Last Resort, Assignment of Ages.

a. In the event the above procedure is impractical a last effort should be made to determine whether a person is (a) an infant; (b) a junior child; (c) a senior child; (d) an adult in the economically active age; (e) a female in the child-bearing age; (f) an adult in the economically inactive age. The following criteria are given to distinguish between these functional groups specified above.

b. An Infant is one who may be a suckling or is suckling age but is not old enough to walk. The age of an infant is under 1 year. The age column should be double zero (00) if the child falls in this category.

c. A Junior Child is on the lower side, one who has ceased suckling or has passed suckling age, and is able to walk. On the higher side he is not yet old enough to take full care of himself on the road, or to be fully entrusted with the carrying of water for the family from a well, or with making simple purchases for the family (though he may have started these things) or attend an elementary school. The age should be marked three (3) if the child falls in this category. The range, however, is from 1 to 5 year. It is possible, by asking other questions to make a more accurate estimation [text almost completely faded on document]

c. A Senior Child is, on the lower side, one who is old enough to take full care of himself on the road, and can be entrusted safely, with the carrying of water for the family from the well, or, making simple purchases for the family or attending elementary school. On the higher side, he is not yet old enough to marry or has not fully reached the age of puberty, ie., the age of begetting or bearing children. His age group is 6-15 inclusive. As in the case of Junior Child, try, by asking questions to assign the age within the range the child most nearly approximates. Failing that, assign an age of eleven (11).

e. An Adult Male is a person who has fully reached the age of puberty and is old enough to marry or has already married, having reached that age (excluding the case of child marriage). His age group corresponds to the age group of 16 and above. If he is not yet too old to work ho is considered as in the economically active group. (It is assumed that persons over 60 years of age are not economically active). The lower limit is 16 years of age and the upper limit is 60 years of age. Again, if at all possible try to determine the approximate age within the range of 16-60. If this cannot be done although it is unlikely that it cannot, assign thirty-eight (38) as the age.

f. An Adult Female is in the child-bearing age if she is an adult and is not yet too old to bear children. This age group for women is roughly from 15 to 45. As before, an effort should be made to ascertain the correct age. Failing that, an age of 31 should be assigned females falling in this group. Women over the child-bearing age but not yet too old to work should be reported as 53 years of age. The range, however, is from 46-60. If it is possible to approximate the true age more accurately you should do it.

g. A Senior Adult is in the economically inactive age if he is too old to work. This age corresponds to 61 and above. Again, effort should be made to ascertain the true age as nearly as possible.