Genealogy Chat

Please can anyone explain what 'see J/27' ( I think thats what it says) means on a correction to a birth entry. Looking at the birth index for George E Cook Tynemouth 10B Sept Q 1905, he is added as a correction to the bottom of the page. Thanks, Jo

Hi Jo, would it be the page number? Sue

I think it means June quarter of 1927, not sure why though! Teresa

Hi Sue, Thanks for your reply, I'm not sure but the correction entry is on page 117 and I can't think what the J would be for?

Hi Teresa Very wierd, but there is also a correction to a George E Cook in Tynemouth in June 1927, thats 22 years apart???? Jo

Sounds as if the correction was made in 1927 and refers back to the entry made in 1905. Perhaps his parents 'forgot' to register him when he was born, and he had to do it by Declaration in 1927? OC

Thanks OC My father and I have been searching for my grandad's birth for many years now, we.re hoping this could be it, although his other certificates ( marriage and death ) suggest he was born before 1903. We've sent off for a 1911 report and this new birth certificate. Thanks again Jo

Could this be the reason I cannot find birth cert for my paternal grandfather? I know he was born in July 1884 but even though the GRO searched from Jan 1883 to Dec 1885 there was no sign of him. Could he have been registered years later? (I'm happy to search for him for as long as it takes but only if it won't be yet another waste of time.) OC - can you advise please? Thanks Jill

Jill My first advice would be to look in the local bmds - that is where all my missing people turn up! Despite what the GRO say, many events never got passed from the local RO to the GRO. Of course, this is no help if you don't know WHERE they were born. OC

Thanks OC. He was born in Camberwell. I will see what I can find out. Jill

Hi Jo I also had an amendment to one of my entries. J27 definitely refers to the June quarter and 27 to the year. Mine also had a circle with a vertical line through it which means it is a name issue. Lesley

Jill A few reasons for an adult registration would be: In order to start work at age 14, or whatever - under the Factories Act. To join the Armed Forces (not sure when that came in) At the end of an Apprenticeship, you had to produce a birth cert before you could get your indentures back - again, not sure when that rule started. At the age of 65, in order to get a State Pension. But people who could not track down their birth certs would often swear a Declaration in front of a JP, and I am not at all sure these were recorded by the GRO - probably not, as they are not actually birth registrations! Is it possible he was illegitimate and registered under his mother's name? OC

Thank you everybody. Dad and I are waiting for the certificate - wonder where that may lead us........................ Good luck to all you others out there searching. Jo

Hi Jo, I found an entry similar to this for someone who had been born illegitimately, but had later had her name changed to that of her father. The original entry in the birth index is typeset as normal, but the later entry is a 'see <month><year>' handwritten type at the bottom of the page. If you know the mother's maiden name, it might be worth looking for that entry in 1905 too. One thing to bear in mind is that you will only get the latest modified version of the birth certificate issued, and not the original. As an aside, one of my husband's relatives was registered as normal, but, unknown to him (and apparently to his parents), his first name was mis-spelled in the original entry. When he went to do his National Service, he was nearly had up on a fraud charge as the Navy said he wasn't who he said he was! His parents had to get his birth certificate modified by taking his baptism certificate to the register office and signing a declaration. That entry is handwritten at the bottom of the births index page, but because the surname is the same, it's one of those numeric entries with an 'a' stuck on the end of it. :-) Chris

Once worked in local RO entries amended were usually because if after baptism child was given different name to that in birth register it was then re-registered with amended name. Another possibility is that child was illegitimate and originally registered with mothers maiden name, after providing proof of mothers marriage it is possible to re-register with name of father. hope this helps. Ann

Jill, don't assume that because you know when he was born that he was born then. My grandmother knew she was born in 1893. However, when I eventually found her birth she was, in fact, born 1890.

Thanks OC I know that he joined the army in 1901/2 and was in the reserves for a year or so - presume until he reached age 18. On 1891 census he shows as 6 and on 1901 he shows as 16. (Which makes sense for a July birthday). An aunt told me that he had lied about his age to join the army - but that makes no sense as all info fits. I am beginning to think that mum and dad were not married - even though they said they were married on census returns - and John (and siblings) may well have been registered under mother's maiden name. Which I don't know. And I cannot find any likely marriage for mum and dad. (I think I will need to search further ahead in case they married when the children were grown up - but George and Elizabeth SIMMONS - it's not that rare a combination ...) Sooner or later this brick wall will come down! Many thanks for your help and advice. Jill

Hi Janet. I know - I've been caught by that before. The GRO did search from Jan 1883 to Dec 1885 and info on census returns re his age fit. He may have been a bit fuzzy about his year of birth but his parents seem to have it as 1884 so I can't make sense of it. It will come clear somehow - I'm very optimistic! Jill

Hi Jo Sorry if I hijacked your thread - it's been interesting and helpful so I hope you don't mind! Jill

Hi Jill (and everyone else) No I don't mind you joining in, more heads are better one. I'm still not sure I've found the birth I'm after - I received a copy of 1911 census for the family this morning ( National Archives were really quick - her 3 days after ordering!). It shows my grandad aged 7 in 1911, which matches his marriage and death certs. He was the 6th of 7 children, all the others registered 'normally'. We've checked the electoral roles and have addresses from 1901-1930's showing them in Gateshead/Sunderland all the time. There is a 3part question on the 1911 census requiring an answer to the number of children born(7), still alive(7) and children that have died (0), so no suspicion of an adoption/change of name. Any miracles gratefully received!! Jo