Genealogy Chat

Sorry just had to tell you my luck. Been searching for uncle for months. Bought many birth certs which where all wrong. One of you guys on here told me i should be using the reference check option when i order which was new to me. So i did, and waited. I must confess i was convinced the cert i had just ordered was going to be wrong again. So much so that i was waiting for a mail from ONS to tell me so. This morning i went down for the post and on the floor was yet another birth cert. When i saw it i straight away thought dam ive made a mistake with the reference check part of my order and here we have another wrong cert. Opened it up and blow me it was correct. Hooray, ive found him at last. So i would like to say thank you to all who have given me advice etc, i am very very gratefull, thank you. One happy Steve...

Steve. Thats great news. Two of mine came today. The first one, i am over the moon with.It tells me that My GGGGrandfather, was a chelsea pensioner, so hopefully i will be able to find more information on him. The second one was the wrong one. I think i will have to do a ref check for that one Linda

I feel a bit foolish here but what is a reference check option?

Your not foolish, Foolish is what i did, bought 6 birth certs without reading the instructions first and paying full price. Then some one on here told me you can add 'checking' details eg parents and if they find that the parents are wrong to the person the cert is for then you only get charged £4.00. First time i used it and was lucky with the right one.

Hi mary. If you apply online for your certs from the GRO.It gives you the option for a reference check. If you want a birth certificate, and you know the childs parents name, say mother mary and father joseph. they will check for their names. If the parents name's dont match , they will not send you the certificate and refund you £4.00. Linda

so pleased for you Steve that reference check can save you a lot of money , I didnt bother last time as I was so sure it was the right one and it wasnt .Should have taken my own advice.

Judith it doesn take any longer when you order from the GRO just put if its a birth cert either parents names if you know them as a reference check but dont put middle names because if the person didnt use it they wont send you the cert.If its a marriage then again put the fathers name if you know it as a reference check.

No longer than usual :-)

Thanks everyone for the help I will definitely use that next time I send for a certificate, Mary.

If I need reference checking points because I am unsure if I have found the right one, I always order direct from the local register office. If you put in a stamped addressed envelope and separate £7 cheques, if the checking points are wrong, they will send the full £7 back to you and not £4 that you get online from the GRO Just thought you might like to know.

Yes I agree, I use Tower Hamlet a lot and they always return your £7 cheque if your request is not the right person. Good Luck Irene

what areas do Tower Hamlet cover thanks