Genealogy Chat

Thanks Maid Marion, will use local office next time if it's a not sure certificate! Dawn

Dawn, what has happened to you is the GRO's standard practice.

Birmingham Registry Office gives an excellant service-max wait two hours.Will not issue cert if all info is not correct.Has geneoligist to help if you need advice-he also gave me his direct phone number.But I am lucky as nearly all my rellies from Brum.marie

I have only applied online to the GRO so far and having read messages re certificates on here thought that standadr practice was to refund if the certificate was not the correct one. I have just had an email from them re a birth certificate I had ordered saying that the parents first names did not match on my order so they hadn't issued a certificate but were only refunding £4 to my card and keeping £3 as a checking fee. Is this standard for online orders? If local offices send cheques back uncashed, surely the GRO should be refunding fully too? I am still a bit of a newbie as far as this is concerned, so any advice appreciated. Thanks Dawn

Also some, like Liverpool treat genealogical requests as low priority. They offer a 30 day turnaround at best. I did get one from Huddersfield recently by return post, so there are some that are very quick.

Peter, I posted my request to Liverpool RO on Sunday night and received a marriage cert on Tuesday morning I think that's pretty good, maybe they were having a quiet day. Cal.

I understand that some logel register offices will not provide certificates for genealogical research, and others put them to the bottom of the priority list. This is tfrom the Liverpool Register Office website, for example 'Certificates for family history research are processed within 2 to 3 weeks or less, depending upon the time of year and the demand for other certificates'.

wanted to add my name for future reference liz

Thanks Bob, will try the local office for my next cert!

Tikal some may be, but for the periods most of us are looking at they are hand written transcriptions. They can thus have errors and ommisions. Many registrations are missing altogether from GRO. Where possible ALWAYS go to the local office first. Also ASK if they give a copy of the original register. Bob

I've never used local offices, only the GRO. Really useful thread thanks. What exactly is the difference in the certificates though. Isn't the GRO a scanned in copy? Thanks.

This info is too good to lose in the shuffle so thought I had better 'peg it' Thanks everyone ! Cheers Margaret X

Nudge

nudge

nudge

Yes, Gwen, I always ask for my cheque to be returned, as you'll see in my standard letter. It is a good idea to include your telephone number, as you say, and I put my email address in the letter, too. I had one from Tower Hamlets recently, too ... :-) Strange that with the online ordering system with GRO (that I looked at recently and felt quite confused!!!), they charge money if you want to say for instance the wife of someone; yet, when I have been at the FRC in London and ordered there, there is no extra charge on the form.

Joy I always apply to the local registry office for Certs and have always had a very good service. On some occasions I have had telephone calls from them to ask further questions just to make sure they have found the right entry so include your phone number. I have found Hereford to be so quick they reply on the same day they recevie your request. Tower Hamlets for London is longer but still quicker than the GRO. I have also found that they return all your money if they cannot find the right person for you the GRO charge £3.00. I think there is a thread about the local offices I will try and find it to nudge it up as it is very informative. Gwen

Yes, Nell, some London ones don't. It's as well to ring them to ask first. Thank you, Tina! ... :-) Jennie - if it is a birth or death registration, I always apply to the local register office. If it is a marriage one, I apply to the local register office if it is a sort of more rural area, ie High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire and Woodbridge in Suffolk have supplied them; definitely not if it is in London though for a marriage one, the superintendent registrar would not have time to do a search. Oh, and when applying to the local register office, they don't want to know the volume and page number that would be found in the GRO indexes - just the name, the district, the quarter and the year. Joy

The letter is great. Sounds dim but can I apply to a local registry office for any BMD if I know the details and avoid the GRO? Jennie

Joy, this is a really good tip. Thank you in particular for including your letter, as I am usually sending off for certs late at night when the brain has switched off, and I find that while I can fill in a form, actually having to think what to put in a letter is totally beyond me! Sad or what! Tina