Genealogy Chat

i wonder if anyone can give me some advice on where or who to go to next please my hubby went for a birth certificate for his brother he was told they have it but the head office wont's to tell him more info about it he got a letter the other day saying


i refer to your recent application for a birth certificate relating to p***** d****** as you may know the matter has been referred hear

shortly after the birth was registered the staff at *****were contacted by the police as part of there investigation the police visited the address were the birth was alleged to have taken place and found that the house had been unoccupied for several months

the divisional medical officer could find no trace of a birth taking place in 1970 to a m*** d****** and it was accordingly referred here by the staff at the register office as a possible fictitious birth

there has been no further correspondence on our file to indicate that such a birth did indeed take place and accordingly the register general is unable to issue a certificate of the entry

can anyone suggest what to do next if anything

thank for any help
carolina xx

Is this brother known to your husband, ...in person I mean?

If not, how did he know details to be able to seek a certificate?

Please can you clarify?


Gwyn

Was the letter from the GRO ? If they have decided that they won't issue a certificate, I can't see how you can get one.

The only thing I can think of is contacting the police in the area where the birth took place and see if you can get any information under the Freedom of Information Act.

Kath. x

Why would somebody register a fictitious birth ? Sounds crazy, you need someone with legal know how to approach this, maybe Citizens advice could help.

his mum told him she had a baby boy she didn't tell him his name but its an unusual last name so it was easy to find

carolina xx

I think I would want to find out what the police were investigating that would make them contact a register office.

I wonder if they thought she was registering a fictitious birth in order to obtain family allowance. I really can't think of a reason why the police would go to the register office.

Kath. x

thank you all for your help

carolina xx

Hi Carolina

So your husband believes that his mother gave birth to a boy in 1970, and when he went to obtain the cert, there appears to be no such birth and that this is a fictitious registration is this right ?
Did you M-I-L say what happened to the child if it had been adopted ?

the letter was from the gro reggie i don't know if she did or didn't have a baby so i don't know if he is alive or ever existed


carolina xx

sheila yes your right his mum told him the baby had died

carolina xx

IF there was a baby, the death would have been registered too.

Gwyn

there isn't a death registered for that name

carolina xx

What a very strange story.

Is your MiL still alive? Can you ask her why the police were involved?

It could be that the baby really existed, but for some reason she gave a false address when she went to register it.

It might be worth contacting the police force involved to see if they still have a record of the investigation.

You could also try social services.

she died along time ago

carolina xx

Something must have made her state that address, ie. perhaps she had some link to it or had lived there.

Maybe you could check the given address in old electoral lists making note too of near neighbours.
( available at a main library or archive local to the address)

There is just a chance that someone living locally is still there and can remember your mother in law or the occupants of the house.

Gwyn

all the houses are pulled down now so no neighbours to ask

carolina xx

I don't suppose she said how old the baby was when it died?

Might be worth checking the local churches for a baptism.

no mary

carolina xx

It will have to be a house check then to see if she ever lived there...and who with.

Maybe once you establish whether she did live there, a brief letter to a local paper asking for help from family or friends who knew ( name ) known to have lived in ( street name) might bring more information.

It all sounds very odd and like the others I wonder why the police got involved.

Gwyn

Was your husband born before or after 1970? Does he have other siblings who might know?

Rose