Occasional Copy:A

[meekhcs]

Thank you Anthony

I have been in touch with the local office and have emailed them a photocopy of the certificate I received from the GRO. In a second email I sent the local office a photocopy of the original short copy which I have, and which contains their reference. On both occasions they assured me that the registration they hold is exactly the same as the copy certificate I received from GRO.

Anthony I agree it could relate to date and time.

Dad was born 19 Feb. His birth wasn't registered until 28 March, so outside the normal "month" allowed. Additionally, the birth was registered in the sub District of the Main office. The GRO records it in the Jan-March quarter where it should be, but it is quite likely it was "late".

[AdrianBruce]

Just to confuse matters more - maybe - the time "limit" is six weeks, not one month. This is the 1874 Act:

Information concerning birth to be given to registrar within forty-two days
In the case of every child born alive after the commencement of this Act, it shall be the duty of the father and mother of the child, and in default of the father and mother, of the occupier of the house in which to his knowledge the child is born, and of each person present at the birth, and of the person having charge of the child, to give to the registrar, within forty-two days next after such birth, ...

(My granddad breached the 42 days, so they, ahem, adjusted his birthdate to make him street-legal... So it sticks in my mind. My Mum was no longer sure whether his birthday was his real birthday or his official one!)

[meekhcs]

Adrian
Thanks for putting me straight. I had always though it was a month. Oh well, I will probably never know for sure. GRO haven't replied to my 2nd email. I think it is too much to hope that they are investigating further!

[Mick Loney]

My granddad breached the 42 days, so they, ahem, adjusted his birthdate to make him street-legal... So it sticks in my mind. My Mum was no longer sure whether his birthday was his real birthday or his official one!

Same thing happened with my dad, whose birthday was 18th December. I was stunned when I saw the date of birth on his birth certificate was down as 31st December. His date of birth had also been adjusted by nan, to avoid a fine

When I registered his death, I explained our dilemma, and registrar was happy to put 18th December as his date of birth.
That will cause a problem for future genealogists, trying to match his birth and death certificates

[meekhcs]

Forgot to post!!

I finally receved an answer to my second email to the GRO.

It was virtually identical to the first one, but written by a manager this time, again saying they could do nothing unless I produced the GRO ref for the original entry. Anything else was bound by confidentiality!!

[AntonyM]

There is no other original entry as such - if the local office are telling you that the register entry they have matches what GRO have sent you, then there is nothing else to get.

[meekhcs]

Thank you Anthony and for your PM which I will reply to later when I am at my laptop
Sally