Genealogy Chat

mgnv

I would query your statement that the GRO entry is a copy of the local register. When a birth is registered, it is entered in triplicate by the Registrar: the local register, one for the GRO and the 3rd given to the person registering the birth. This is what happened when I registered my twin's births. The Registrar (who visited the hospital) was rather annoyed that both had three names and sent me away to have my lunch why he filled out all three entries. It is possible that sometimes an error could be made on one of the entries but as all three are signed by the informant unlikely unless the informant was illiterate .

Also, not all entries with no MMN are for illegitimate births. I thought so at first, but then found several that were not - all for the same Registration district and in the same period. This is my great grandfather's entry from the GRO:

LAMPORT, GEORGE - Order
GRO Reference: 1841 M Quarter in FARNHAM Volume 04 Page 136

I have his birth cert and the MMN is on it.
One thing I would like to know is what "Occasional Copy:A" means. I have this against one entry and have seen it against others that have been posted on here.

Potty I don't really know what 'Occasional Copy' means, but having a quick google I believe it refers to a certificate that has been corrected after submission.

Occasional copy is mentioned in the following:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/408482/APsGuideFebruary15final.pdf

(Use control F to find)

Nudge :-S

Potty - you can query my statement that the GRO entry is a copy of the local register, but you'll find it's accurate, at least pre-1969q2, when things changed somewhat.
I also think long form b.certs were not given to the informant, only sold.
Short-form b.certs might have been given out -I'm not very familiar with them, but I don't think they include any informant info.

The GRO published and annotated an example of each type of GRO BMD.cert.
http://tinyurl.com/lrk36xp
It's clear to me the informant signature is in the same hand as the body of the cert.


Incidentally, the certication on a GRO b.cert reads:

CERTIFIED to be a true copy of an entry in the certified copy of the Register of Births in the District above mentioned. (2015)

and that on a local b.cert reads:

Certified to be a true copy of a register in my custody (2008)
or
I, ________, Registrarof Births and Deaths for the Sub-District of ________ in the _____________
do hereby certify that this is a true copy of Entry No. ___ in the Register Book of Births for the said Sub-District, and such Register Book is now legally in my custody. (1943)

which makes it clear who holds the original rego's.



Most local offices lack the technology to put a scanned image of a rego entry onto the certificate form, so local B's & D's are mostly transcribed copies. The only exception I know of is Birmingham RD.