Genealogy Chat

On a couple of references I've found for my relations on the BMD, they've had an 'a' after the ref. i.e. James Hodgson 1897 sept quarter ref 9c 826a. Is there any particular reason for this?

Hi I know this refers to marriages but its the same for births, the last paragraph answers your question. Marriage entries on the GRO/St Caths Indexes. Up until 1852 the quarterly returns sent to the GRO consisted of sheets with space for 4 marriages each side. The number of marriages on the two sides could therefore vary from 1 to 8. Most returns had four or less, so the 'reverse' which became an even number in the bound volumes, more often than not, had no marriages and this is why most references in the index have odd numbers. After a certain length of time following the end of each quarter, all the returns for a region would be sorted into registrars' districts. South Wales and Herefordshire (Vol XXVI) would start at Abergavenny and Chepstow in Monmouthshire and proceed through Herefordshire, Radnorshire, Breconshire, Glamorganshire, Carmarthenshire to Newcastle Emlyn and Pembroke in Pembrokeshire (Cardiganshire was in Vol XXVII - North Wales). I am not at all sure of the order within each registrar's district, but once this was done the pages would be numbered. This would be done for the whole country and the index would be prepared. A long tedious job as you can imagine in the days of the quill pen. The very idea fills me with awe! Aren't we lucky to have computers. So, a page reference (up to 1852) can actually refer to a maximum of 4 marriages and 8 people (after 1852 the number of marriages is 2 per page). After the pages had been numbered it was quite common for late returns to arrive at the GRO. What did they do to them? They slotted them in at an appropriate place and the first page was given the number of the preceding page (which was always even, being a reverse or back page) plus an 'a', and if there were entries on the reverse of the new page they would have the page reference plus a 'b'. A second sheet slotted in at the same place would have, I guess, pages numbered 'c' and 'd'. [Based on a reading of Comedy of Errors. Gerry Lewis 1999 D]

Thanks Willow the Wisp, its the same family that have the a's so I guess they may have been a bit behind in getting their babies registered!

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