Genealogy Chat

Further to my previous posting I have still not managed to order a birth certificate with which I want to add conditions. Can anyone give me some advice?

I want to order a certificate of John A Adams born in Birmingham in 1934. I have the correct reference number but I only want the certificate if his mother is Ada Adams (unmarried). I have entered this information into the reference checking page but when I go to my basket, it shows that no reference checking has been requested. I have emailed GRO requesting help but they have not replied.

Am I going about this the right way as I don't want the certificate if it does not show the correct mother.

From memory the request for checking additional information is part of the order process, theres a button to you press, its not somehting you do when the orders in the basket, if its already in the basket you need to 'edit' the order for that item, I'm sure theres a button in the basket section next to each item ordered that allows you to edit.

Just to double check you are ordering direct from www.gro.gov.uk.

Hi Claire,

this has happened each time I have ordered a cert from the GRO too. I am not sure that it ever does show once the cert is in the basket because I nearly always enter something I want them to check before issuing the cert and I know that they have checked because I have had some not issued due to details not being a match. I don't think you are doing anything wrong, I think it's just their system. If you are still not sure though why not contact the register office in Birmingham and order through them. I believe that with most register offices if you place an order and send them a cheque you can request them to return your cheque to you if they don't issue the cert because the mothers name does not match.

Good luck,
Caz

On the third page after signing in, there is a button at the bottom marked "Reference Checking", click on that and enter the reference check you wish to use.

Also there is this announcement.
Service Announcement - 17 February 2009

Currently there are some technical issues concerning printing order confirmation details. Consequently some of the order information is not recorded on the printed confirmation. GRO can assure customers that the full order details provided at the time of application have been recorded. There should not be any issue processing the application.

GRO are taking the necessary steps to have this technical problem rectified.

Hi Claire.
If you order a cert with ref checking for mother as Ada Adams. What if Ada wasnt her full name. She might be Ada Ellen or something and she might put that as her name.
Gro will then not send you the cert which might be the correct one.
I like others suggest contacting the local reg office.

Try e mailing.
[email protected]
phone. 0121 675 1000
fax 0121 675 1050

Hi, I thought to add my experience to this..I have had trouble with "exacts" if the info I have provided is incorrect the GRO charge me £3.00 for checking and credit back the balance of £4.00. Hope this helps

Many thanks for all your replies. I think I will phone Birmingham RO then and see if I have more sucess. It's a shame there isn't a free text box on GRO so you fully explain what you want.

This may be a stupid question, but if you want a birth certificate only if both parents' names are correct do GRO charge for checking each name or just the once?
I know that if you have more than one possible index reference (for example 4 John Smiths born in the same district and quarter) they will charge for each reference checked, but does a similar situation apply within one reference?
My guess is that it doesn't (or shouldn't!) but maybe someone knows for certain.
Thanks

They dont charge for a ref check. They only charge for the cert. If either parents name dont match those given they dont send the cert and return part of your money

Thanks Quinsgran
So if they don't issue a cert because details don't match and refund part of the money, that is in effect a charge. You've answered my question though, in that the charge only applies once per entry.
But taking my example of 4 John Smiths born in the same district and quarter, if, say, the mother's maiden name only matched on the third one they checked, they would charge £3 for each of the first 2 checks then £7 for the certificate from the third. At least that's how I read this from the GRO website.
"If you have done your own searching in the GRO indexes and have found more than one reference to the name you are researching, or are unsure which is the entry you require, we offer reference checking online. The charge is £7 for action on the first entry, which includes the cost of the certificate, and £3 for checking each subsequent reference against the information you have provided. To enable us to do this, you must give us one piece of information that you are sure will appear on the certificate, e.g. the exact date of the event.
"For each reference checked a charge of £3.00 will be made and a certificate will only be issued if the entry we check matches the checking point you give us. Please note that we will stop at the first reference number which agrees with the details you have supplied. A maximum of 4 reference numbers should be submitted per application."

Allan

one thing to be cautious about when requesting reference checks is that the name(s) you supply must be EXACTLY as they show on the certificate otherwise GRO will not issue the certificate.


This means that if mother's name is Susan Jones, but you put Sussan or Susannah ......... they will not send the certificate because the reference check doesn't match up. Similarly, if she was Susan Mary Jones and you only put either Susan or Mary.


So you have to be absolutely certain that the names you put down for reference check are definitely the names and spellings that were used.



sylvia