Genealogy Chat

I have just been looking at the 1939 register and my grandfather who died in 2010 has an open record as does his brother who died in 2003. However their sister who died in 2009 still has a closed record. Does anyone know how they are checking which records to open as I would have assumed that the earlier deaths would be opened first.

I believe FMP has been updating records gradually

No idea though of the method they are using to update

My sister born 1931 and passed in 2002 has had her record opened

I'm the only one in the family who does genealogy and I haven't requested hers to be opened

My brother born 1934 passed 2001 isn opened because he went to live in Spain where he passed away

It is strange, isn’t it? Perhaps it’s because males are less likely to change their surnames?
My father (2006) is open but Mum (2003) isn’t.

Shirley, they wouldn’t open your brother’s as they can’t link his death to the GRO death index. You could ask for it to be opened if you submit a copy of his Spanish DC.

You're right Detective I never thought of that. Their sister married and so changed her surname which would make her death harder to find.

Thanks Det

Yes I know I could get it opened but I can't get his death cert as it wasn't reg at the British Consulate and his widow has cut herself off from his family

He went a bit funny in his old age !!! Didn't give out his address to siblings ,maybe he thought we would want freebie holidays . :-(

He has two sons who would know but I am reluctant to ask them just tie up records

My father died in August 1982 in Surrey, England but his record was closed. I have provided the death certificate to get his record opened.
EDIT:
I have just checked for my father-in-law who died in 1986 in Hayes, Middlesex and his record is still closed.
EDIT 2:
I have just checked for my grandmother who died in Surrey 6 weeks after my father in 1982 and her record is open.

So whether it is male or female doesn't seem to make any difference.

someone else might also be studying the same family, and asked for the record to be opened.

I was looking at the records for a street where I Ilived post '43 that was bombed in 1940 records for some of the houses that WERE bombed, are closed...

why would this be so?

I would guess that the NHS lost track of the people after the bombing, that no-one has asked for the records to be opened, or that they emigrated.