In 1752, Great Britain and its colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar, replacing the Julian calendar. The start of the new year shifted from 25 March to 1 January, and 11 days were dropped from the calendar to align with the rest of Western Europe. The omitted days were 3 to 13 September.
While the calendar year was adjusted, the financial year remained tied to the old “Lady Day” (25 March), which became 5 April in the new calendar to account for the dropped days, and later shifted to 6 April to correct for inaccuracies in the Julian system.
Dates between 1 January and 24 March were often recorded with double years (e.g., 1750/51) to indicate both Julian and Gregorian equivalents.
People famously went to bed Wednesday, 2 September, and awoke the following morning on Thursday, 14 September.
Understanding these changes is important when interpreting burial records, gravestone inscriptions, or archival materials at Ballast Hills Burial Ground. Many entries, particularly from the 18th century, reflect old-style dating or use double dates, which can affect how family history timelines are reconstructed and understood.
Credit for this content goes to Gary Taylorson.