Problems with conflicting census information.?

Question

I have several problems with conflicting census information regarding the states in which people were born because the 1900 census threw me. Can you help because this is a mess.

I have the information from the following but only the census image from 1870 to see what was actually written.

This is what I have been able to gather:

I am following John Presley Cox who is listed on the 1870 Alabama census Notasulga District, Macon, Alabama.
In 1870, his father is listed as being from SC.

1. In the 1900 Alabama census, his father is listed as being from NC instead of SC.
2. In the 1900 Alabama census, Irene's mother is listed as being from SC instead of GA.

3. I went to Familysearch.com and it has all of the children as being born in GA and not AL. I did however find Emmet Andrew Cox twice on the IGI index and One states his POB as Tuskegee, Macon, Alabama and the other cited him as being "Of" Cobb, GA.

5. Irene's name is confusing as well. The 1900 census has her as Irene J Cox (Gracia J Cox). I don't know where Gracia comes from.

1870 Alabama census - census image - Notasulga District, Macon, Alabama - 14 July 1870

Father's Mother's
POB POB
William Cox 40 SC Farmer SC SC
Ann E. Cox 30 GA Wife
John P 16 AL Farm hand SC GA
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1880 Alabama census - Bethel, Lee, Alabama

Father's Mother's
POB POB
John P Cox 26 AL Head Farmer SC GA
Irene J Cox 27 GA Wife Keeping House GA GA
William P Cox 2 AL Son AL GA
J Marvin Cox 5M AL Son AL GA
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1900 Alabama census - Tuskegee, Macon,AL
Lists fathers birthplace as NC instead of SC
Lists Irene's mother's birthplace as SC instead of GA

Father Mother
John P Cox 46 AL Head Farmer NC GA
b. Jan 1854 Married in 1876
Irene J Cox (Gracia J Cox) b. Feb 1853
47 GA Wife Keeping House GA SC

William P Cox (b. Jan 1878) 22 AL Son AL GA
John Marvin Cox (b. Jan 1880) 20 AL Son AL GA
Emmett A Cox (b. Dec 1885) 14 AL Son AL GA

--------------------------------------------------------------
Familysearch.com - Shows children as being born in Georgia instead of Alabama

John Presley Cox b. 12 Apr 1854 from Macon, AL d. 1 Aug 1932 buried in Tuskegee, , , Alabama
Irene Jane Slayton b.11 Feb 1852 Cobb, GA Died: 1 Aug 1913 Place: Tuskegee, Macon, Alabama
William Presley Cox (b. Jan 1878) Cobb, GA
John Marvin Cox 2 Jan 1880 Cobb, GA Died: 2 Sep 1946 Place: Tuskegee, Macon, Alabama
Emmett Andrew Cox (b. 11 Dec 1885) Place: Cobb, GA Buried: 8 Nov 1940 Place: Tuskegee, Macon, Alabama
IGI Record#1 = b. 11 DEC 1885 Tuskegee, Macon, Alabama died 8 Nov 1940
father : John P Cox Mother: Irene J Slaton
IGI Record#2 = b. 11 DEC 1885 Of Roswell District, , Cobb, Georgia

Answer 1

You will have to work around to problem until to can verify your data.

Answer 2

You'll find many errors in census records. Misspelled names, incorrect ages or birth dates and, as you've learned, wrong places of birth. Remember - someone answered these questions. Maybe it was supposed to be the head of house, but did the census taker want to come back later if the head of house was out?

Answer 3

It's probably just a mistake in the census error.