Genealogy Chat

Oh yeah, I've been caught out searching marriages instead of births (or vice-versa) and left wondering why I couldn't find the information I wanted! Wasn't a happy bunny.

Hi All, Although I don't understand why, the 50 year thing for deaths, is ONLY for orders made on-line. If you order over the phone or at a record office, you do not need to know the exact date of death, the full GRO ref will suffice. If you order on-line you must know the full date of death??!! Isn't that why most of us are ordering, to know the exact date?? Debbie

Andrea That was very good, I must write that down and keep looking and repeating it. I will remember it in the end. Thanks Debbie

I am also stupid and have wasted credits on 1837 - was searching births when I wanted to find marriages - I had just entered it wrong. Thick or what. Ann, I have just got a death cert from a relative that died in 1995, I just gave the details from 1837 (so just the quarter and year) and I got the certificate no problem. It doesn't make sense that you have to give the exact date. Maybe you got a lazy so and so who couldn't be bothered looking and it would be worth trying again? Debra, Not really related but I saw your "quee" and that you said you could never remember how to spell it. A brilliant tip that my English Teacher gave us (Keith Brindle - brilliant man!). Imagine waiting to go to a toilet - you stand in a "q" and then when you finally get to go "ue" and "ue" (ue sounds like "you wee"!!!). So the spelling is the q and then ue and ue - queue!! Hope that makes sense and helps you remember it.

Ann Knight, What are these rules about 50 years? and which department told you? I ask because I recently got death cert for my dad (1996) and the man in in front did not know his dads DOD(1970s) but that was no problem they were searching for him (they are doing a lot for deceased miners). It does not seem realistic to expect you to know DOD from 50 years ago! Surely that is what the cert is for! Bob

For those who end up searching on the wrong event, try using the redefine search instead of new search. It will stay on the same event and not revert to births. Just something I discovered along the way.

Possibly, the restrictions on deaths less than fifty years old are for (a) privacy or (b) preventing identity theft? It wouldn't be the first time someone used a deceased person's identity, and the info on death certificate if enough to enable someone to get hold of a birth certificate. Maybe I'm paranoid - my neighbour's details were stolen from something he threw in the bin and it took him ages to sort out the mess. As for 1837, I too have made some really daft mistakes. They even colour-code the pages, but even that isn't enough to stop us really determined twits.

Debra Another Silly Billy here. We've all done it so don't be too hard on yourself. Ann Knight Re your Aunts death cert. Does you local records office have old copies of your local paper on microfiche? If you know the year and month it won't take you long to search the obituaries and find out the death date. Jeanette

Debbie, Have to say you are not the only one, give you a guess who also did it! Spent a few bob un-necessarly! Kim

Yep, I've also searched for births when I wanted marriages!! Maggy, West Yorkshire

A way of avoiding this is when you are searching for marriages say, when you are on the results page and they are not what you want, don't go back and search again, click "redefine current search" and this goes back to marriages. As to getting the wrong century just keep off the strong cider. Bob

Debbie, I did the same thing, or nearly when looking for a death and not realising that it had reverted back to Births. Also the rules are different when asking for certificates for someone born not so long ago rather than someone born or died in the 18002. In fact, I can't get my Aunt's cerificate because I don't know her exact date of death, I know the month and year but not the day and I have to have the full details because it was in 1963, less than 50 years ago. Strange rules but there you are. Ann Glos

I am so glad it`s not just me then. you silly people (only joking) Debbie

I've also wasted credit on 1837 by looking for marriages and not realising it had reverted back to births when I started looking for a different person. I think we have all made mistakes along the way so don't be too hard on yourself. Mel

Ooh yes, and even worse is to check that you are looking at the right thing. I was checking marriages, went back to input someone else, and it reverted to births so I wasted a lot of credits. Enough to make you pull your hair out!

Thanks Ann And I have just ordered the certificates from my local registrar. Ive ordered from them before and they were really helpful and friendly and always arrive the next day. But the woman today was very snooty she wanted to know the relationship with this person whether it was for family history, then she couldnt work out my address and had to keep repeating. but hopefuly she wont put me at the back of the quee (cant remember for the life of me how to spell that word. This is the first certificate in the 1900`s ive ever ordered I was lucky that I had all the ones I needed from my family. But this one I felt I had to get it was my Mums baby brother he was born in 1941 and died a couple of weeks later. so ordered Birth and Death because my mum never knew what happened as my nan never talked about it. Debbie

AAWW Debbie don't down yourself as that is some thing I would do and have done just step back and start again but you are not stupid. Here's an E hug !!!! Ann'Darlington

Just a little tip when you are searching on the 1837 site, make sure you search the right century. I bought 55 credits and thought I would search for my uncles Birth in 1940 he died a few weeks later, so there I am I searched from 1938 to 1942 after using 22 credits I realised I was searching 1840. Anyway I found it and then I searched his death and I done the same stupid thing and used another 5 credits. But the main thing is I did find it in the end. Just go careful Debbie