When you look at a census record, say on Ancestry.com, it will always say something like: "Birth (est/abt) 1810, Wurttemburg". While I'm all thumbs with genealogy stuff, this indicates to me they ask your age vice date of birth.
You win the "paying attention" prize
This is the single biggest question I have with Abstatt Waltz being the Dutchman. On pretty much all the censuses and records (like the Great Register), they're usually done in some month before November, but his age is always seems a year too old (because he wouldn't turn that age until a few months later). About the only thing I've found that makes sense is Ville de Lyon Waltz's age. Now don't take my word on any of this, as I can be a bit dense when it comes to understanding genealogy and all the ins/outs. I have to think this has occurred to Dr. Oertel, who proposed Abstatt Waltz.
Jim,
More speculation on my part here, but I would lay odds that at least back in the frontier days, it was decided to just draw a line at "How old this year". I would think that even back then, it could get pretty confusing have to always try to be on top of what month that particular census registry was entered, for any particular portion of a territory, for what year, . . terrible for anyone trying to do just what we are doing.
I say lay odds, but not really the betting type, just a speculating type. It doesn't make sense to me to have random census by month and year. Much simpler to track by "Age that Year". Perhaps it was common knowledge back then as far as this was understood . . . I really don't know.
It seems like something that should be common knowledge today.
Well, now you know why I suggested when you first brought this up a few pages ago, to get a free account on Family Search, look at all the censuses and come to your own conclusions
I have no idea what is going on here. As far as my own age, it always surprises me on my birthday that I'm turning an age I thought I already was...in other words, at the beginning of a new year, in my mind I'm a year older even though my birthday is a few months off. I routinely give that age when asked, without thinking about it and realizing I actually won't tunr that age for a few months yet. Is that what Waltz did? Don't know. It just seems like I'm not getting something.
Since a few pages ago, it has been nagging me. I couldn't find anything explaining the "AGE" box. Seemed and still seems dumb to me not to have some explanation for that box, but perhaps that was left up to the census takers? 
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