Genealogy Chat

Thanks for the offer Rose, I could post the details but he is deffinately not on the National index of births between 1901 and his death ion 1944 so it would be a waste of effort to search them again. As I metioned earlier, my dad and I have checked numerous birth for people who could have been grandad, but they are all wrong. We've paid the GRO to do a search aff all births of the same name over a 2 year period, with no result. We've asked the kind man in Gateshead register office to check loads of possibles - again he's not listed on the local indices. That was when we paid for the 1911 census report to prove he was with the family. One day we'll have an answer...................... Jo

Half of my family dont have birth certs!! My uncles birth was never registered but he still did National service and went on to work on Cruise ships, so he must have had a passport, I dont think then so much 'proof' was required! I often wonder about my uncles DOB though, It seems that he was born exactly a year to the day after his older brother (Who died aged 6 days). Pat

Jo, Can you give us the details? Rose

My parents were born in 1903 and 1904, they left school at the age of 12, thus 1915 and 1916. ...................... I have much-folded and worn copies for each of them of certificates stating that they had completed the necessary number of days in school, and thus were eligible to leave school and seek work. It looks very much as they, Dad in particular, carried these certificates with them, in a pocket or wallet. I wonder if this was all that was needed to find a job, not a birth certificate?

Thank you all, I'll keep dreaming of that breakthrough................. Jo

I don't think so my there is no trace of my grandmother being registered or baptised in the the Channel islands, and she got married there Bren

My grandad doesn't have a birth certificate. In order to open a bank account he got the local police man to say he was who he claimed to be (this was Ireland). Never had a passport and didn't need to produce one for his driving licence. If you ask him how he knows what is date of birth is he'll tell you its the date his mother told him he was born - Let's hope she didn't get it confused with the other 8 children she had (4 of which also don't have birth certs!) Karen

Jo My Dad never had a Birth cert - couldn't trace one. When he needed proof of age, he had to write off for a letter to confirm his Confirmation - but he was 15 when confirmed, so knew which church it was at. Good luck with your search. Bx

His older sister would only have been 8, so very unlikely, and his eldest brother was 'only' 13. We have followed up a couple of 'family aquaintances', and even bought birth certificates for children who could have been theirs - but not the one we want. The mystery goes on, baptism records next -if they were baptised. Thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts. Jo

Is there a daughter old enough to be his mother? I too would have thought he would need to provide, not a birth cert, but a shortened form of the birth cert, which was issued under the provisions of the Factory and Workshop Acts, in order to work in a coal mine, by, say, 1918. But I am not positive about this. Were the other children baptised? A baptism is slightly more likely to tell the truth than a BC, in my experience, particularly if there is something to hide. If this was my Grandad, I would want to know too, and I would be taking a close look at all the aunties and uncles as well. OC

Thanks OC and Looby I've searched the whole index from 1944 (when he died aged 40) back to 1901, he doesn't seem to be there. The 1911 census shows him a 'son' aged 7, born in the same area as the other children. He was a miner, so I assumed he would have need a birth certificate to start work-but still not found one. I was hoping the church may have recorded a date of birth - long shot I know, but I'm running out of ideas. He was 6th of 7 living children, I have his siblings certificates along with his parents marriage certificate ( which pre-dates the childrens births.). I guess they either forgot to register him ( I would have forgotten more than that if I have 7 kids!), or he was someone else's child, being brought up as one of the family - but he's my grandad and I want to know who he was! Thanks for your help. Jo

Jo Well my grandmother was born in Egypt (British Subject) and never had a birth certificate, just a baptism cert. She died in the '70s having never needed to have produced one for offical purposes. I certainly didn't need to produce a birth certificate in the '80s to marry and I don't think it has ever been neccessary. Having said that my sister married when she was just 18 in the '70s and only looked about 16 so she was asked to show it otherwise my dad would have had to give consent. Chris

Jo Think in this case I 'd start at the end and work backwards - do you have his death cert - who was the informant, how old does it say he is and have you any reason to doubt the info. If this is the case it gives you a 'firm' starting point to start looking for his birth. regards Looby

Jo No - people were much more trusting in those days and the Vicar would probably just have accepted what he was told, on the grounds that not many people dare tell barefaced lies to Vicars. And you would be surprised the number of people who have gone through life without a birth cert. Many others did not register until they were adults and realised they could not start work, or claim a pension, without a BC, although a corresponding entry should appear in the birth INDEXES for the year of birth. Widen your search years - age 14 was a popular time to register! And have you considered he may have been registered in his mother's maiden name, if his parents werent married? OC

Does anyone know if people had to produce birth certificates as proof of identity in order to marry in church the 1930’s? Despite years of searching and numerous wrong certificates I’m really struggling to identify my grandfather’s birth around 1903. I’ve even purchased his 1911 entry to prove he was living with the father named on his marriage certificate. I can't believe he got through life without a birth certificate - well I don't want to believe it. Thanks, Jo