Genealogy Chat

Just out of curiosity, is it illegal to not register a birth of someone?

I only ask because I have tried looking for two people in birth records, and I have trawled 3 years either way and neither of them crops up.

I turned up, but these other two didnt. Very odd, I must say.

Wez,

Can you message me the details and I'll look. They could be there under the mother's maiden name.

Rose

It is illegal not to register someone's birth - I assume you mean within the last 100 years? Back in 1875 it became compulsory to register a birth but people didn't always do it. These days you dont always get that happening!

It may be that the births are registered under the mothers maiden name if they were born out of wedlock - or registered in another country? If they were born abroad for instance if the parents were part of the armed forces - they would be registered under the overseas indexes.

I know there is a time limit to register a birth so it may be that they exceeded the limit - I cant really speak for whatever individual circumstances caused the two people's births you are looking for to not be there - if for instance they are your siblings and you know they should be there etc.

x

The names are my parents names. I have my birth certificate and so I have both their surnames. My mums is her maiden name. I dont know if she got married.

I found one name that matches my fathers, but the place of birth is all wrong.

You are welcome to PM me the details and I can see what I can find for you?

Or Portland Rose can help - or we both can!

Do you know for sure where your father was born? Dont forget that people may not be born where they lived people moved about a bit, do you know whether the place your father was born falls under the same registration district as the birth you found?


x

Wez

It may sound really weird in this Modern age not knowing where you wwere actually born but knowledge is only as good as you have been told?

My husbands grandfather thought he was born in the area he knew all his life and grew up in, London, but it turns out he came from Dorset!, the family moved shortly after his birth, even his brothers and sisters didn't know, so always be open to the unexpected..

All the best
Carrie

Thanks Carrie. You are right of course. I have only a file (which I misplaced about 7 years ago). My place of birth was correct. My BC proves that, but of course, the other information could be inaccurate. Which opens up a whole new headache.

I haven't been doing this long but have found things are not always as we think they should be or the same as what we are told (even in good faith).

An example is that of my twin uncles who I couldn't find anywhere in the BMD. I knew my grandparents were definitely married and knew my grandmother's maiden name and the first names of the twins. I eventually spotted them when I realised that my grandmother's maiden name was recorded incorrectly as her mother's maiden name. Goodness what she was thinking. On top of that one of the twins had his names switched. He was known as Raymond but was registered John Raymond.

Where are you looking? You should be looking at the complete BMD 1837-1983 not the BMD Index 1837-1983

Harking back to Mrs T's point, remember that if they were born in Belfast, Glasgow, Douglas, or St Peter Port, they were born in another country.