Genealogy Chat

My great-grandma has two different dates of birth, depending on which source you believe. The birth certificate says she was born on 12 Mar 1879 (which was registered by her illiterate mother on 23 Apr that year) but the baptism records in the church say she was born on 19 Mar 1879 and christened on 23 Mar. It is all very strange - I could understand a later date being on the birth certificate (although it was just within the time limit) but the other way round is odd.

As JMW says, it is probably easier to keep track of births etc since the NHS came in, because more births are in hospitals now and even the ones that happen at home will have a midwife sent out by the NHS so there must be more documentation and paperwork to do with births than in past times.

It has always been six weeks. For many years now information about every birth has been passed by the local health authorities to Registrars, so people cannot give an incorrect date of birth. Registrars do also chase late registrations and GRO will take legal action if births are not registered

I think it's been the same period of time since it became compulsory.

I'm always a bit suspicious of any birth that is not registered until 6 weeks later. I always wonder whether the date of birth is completely accurate!

Jill

It was the same in the early 1900s----my grandfather was apparently too idle to go and register my father's birth until he was 8 weeks old,so lied about the date and my father everafter had a real birthday and an official one !

I think it was the same, yes. (Although, apparently it was not unknown for late registering parents to lie about the date of birth to avoid being fined, but I think this was quite rare.)

can anyone help i know now we have 6 weeks to register a birth can anyone tell me if it was the same in 1960 thanks