Who When Where

Why can't I find 2 x Gt Aunt Mary's birth registration?

Briefly:

Formal registration in England and Wales began in 1837, but it did not become compulsory until the 1870s.

Initially, the Registrars would travel the country village by village collecting registrations, and the onus was on them, rather than the parents, to record events.

Many births were missed in this situation, but they could often be found in the parish registers, as baptism was still a regular occurence. Sometimes parents would save up and baptise several childrn on the same day so always spread your search over several years.

This is a huge topic so hopefully again others will jump in with extra info??

Baptisms were quite expensive for some people, I think it was a Shilling, and they decided not to baptise their children. I didn't know that Registrars travelled the county for registrations (it is covered by the Births and Deaths Registration Act of 1874). Registration in England and Wales started on 1 July 1837, a point to be born in mind if the person was born earlier. There was a need to register births within 42 days was brought in 1874. The 1874 Act is very detailed and full of interesting information on various scenarios. Of course Scotland's superior (in my view) system started on 1January 1855 and was based on the French model.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vi ... 88/enacted

Thunder wrote: ↑18 Apr 2021, 17:38 Baptisms were quite expensive for some people, I think it was a Shilling, and they decided not to baptise their children. I didn't know that Registrars travelled the county for registrations (it is covered by the Births and Deaths Registration Act of 1874). Registration in England and Wales started on 1 July 1837, a point to be born in mind if the person was born earlier. There was a need to register births within 42 days was brought in 1874. The 1874 Act is very detailed and full of interesting information on various scenarios. Of course Scotland's superior (in my view) system started on 1January 1855 and was based on the French model.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vi ... 88/enacted

Not quite as simple as that, in most parishes of England & Wales Baptism was regarded as a sacrament and no fee could be charged for performing a sacrament, though at various times a charge could be made for recording the baptism in a register.
The charging of a fee for a baptism or the fee for registering a baptism was finally made illegal by an Act in 1872 https://tinyurl.com/fuysbjn4

Civil registration of births & deaths was more complex under the 1836 Act.
For instance under section XIX of the Act for registering Births, Deaths, and Marriages in England [17th August 1836.] https://tinyurl.com/s295p6a6
various people may give Notice of such Birth or Death to the Registrar of the District within 42 days.

Section XX of the same Act details the Registrars duty upon being requested so to do within 42 days.
Section XXII states “That after the Expiration of Forty-two Days following the Day of the Birth of any Child it shall not be lawful for any Registrar to register such Birth, save as herein-after is next mentioned”
Section XXII makes it illegal for a registrar to register a birth after 6 months with a penalty of a Sum not exceeding Fifty Pounds.

Various Transcripts of Various Acts of Parliament of Interest to the Genealogist may be seen on my website at https://tinyurl.com/ynxfv3aa
Cheers
Guy

Thank you both for the extra detail.

My opening posts will always be brief with the bare bones so I am hoping others will build on that info.