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I heard today on the news that birth records from today are available to view on line on Ancesrty. Is this correct?
If so, although yesterday I sent for a birth cert, could anyone look it up for me please if it is free.
Canning Francis Stephen March qtr 1861 Newbury 2c ??
(Canning being the surname)
I am a bit impatient and could always wait but!!!! pretty please someone XX

Chris of Wessex posted a thread about this facility on General board, but nobody seems to be able to find out details.

Wouldn't it be great if we could view online.?
I would expect there would have to be some date restriction though, for fear of identity fraud.

Gwyn

Evidently it was on the news this morning at 8am Unfortunately I wasn't listening. But I have checked your details and you still get what you always have and you have to order the cert for more info. Maybe the release date is not today.

Francis Stephen Canning
Year of Registration: 1861
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
District: Newbury
County: Berkshire, Hampshire
Volume: 2c
Page: 226

I haven't seen the news but it sounded to me, that they didn't explain it well. Could be meant that to able to see the parents names and occupation is to buy the cert.

Misleading I would say :(

Hate to disappoint you but I don't think it means you can see the cert on line, just that the birth index has now been transcribed up to 2005
You still have to buy the certificate to get deatils.

I have sent for the cert anyway, but the program this morning certainly gave me the idea you should be able to access data without having to buy!!

Have also posted this on a similar thread on General Topics, this is what it says on Ancestry's press release for today (same info issued in Feb) - looks like only the index is online which we knew already.

Prince William, the Kray Twins and Kate Winslet - 134m UK Birth Indexes Now Fully Searchable Online - World First
More than 134 million names of everyone born in England and Wales, since civil registration in 1837, are now available fully name searchable online for the first time on the UK’s leading family and social history website, Ancestry.co.uk.

In partnership with FreeBMD , Ancestry.co.uk has completed indexing by name, registration date and district the General Records Office (GRO) Birth Indexes for England and Wales dating from 1837 to 2005.

Although all GRO indexes (for records of births, marriages and deaths) have been available online for some time, this is the first time that the birth indexes have been made fully name searchable.

Considered ‘core’ records by family history researchers, this major addition to Ancestry.co.uk’s historical record collection will be of great significance both in the UK and internationally.

Modern day celebrity names in the indexes include Prince William, Russell Brand and Victoria Adams (Beckham). Other famous historical figures include John Lennon, JRR Tolkien, and Emeline Pankhurst.

Because each name has now been individually indexed, for the first time the complete record indexes can reveal name trends over the last 170 years, which prove that Victorian parents also named their children after celebrities of the day. Examples include:

Ellen entered the list of most popular names in the 1870s at the same time as the beautiful and glamorous Shakespearean actress Ellen Terry (1847-1928) reached the height of her fame

Joseph is a relatively uncommon name that entered the ‘top ten’ between 1907 and 1915 as the people’s politician and statesman Joseph Chamberlain (1836-1914) peaked in popularity

Annie was the most popular girl’s name between 1887 and 1896, influenced by the World famous Annie Oakley (1860-1926), an American sharpshooter and star of the touring show Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, who performed in person for Queen Victoria
Researching historical birth indexes also tells us that ‘unusual’ modern day celebrity baby names are not as original as we may think.

The first names Brooklyn, Romeo, Apple and Princess actually all made their debut long before they became famous in the 21st century, first appearing in the birth indexes from the 19th century.

Ancestry.co.uk is also working with FreeBMD to fully index the GRO’s Marriage and Death indexes. When complete , the England and Wales Birth, Marriage and Death Indexes from 1837-2005 will contain more than 250 million fully searchable names – only on Ancestry.co.uk.

Ancestry.co.uk Managing Director, Olivier Van Calster comments: “This is a real breakthrough for anyone researching ancestors born in England and Wales after 1837 as birth indexes are considered core records essential for anyone exploring their UK family history.

“To be able to search the entire England and Wales Birth Indexes armed with no more than a name could yield in minutes or less what once might have taken days to achieve.”