General Chat

I keep them in a different file. Some of the people on my family tree have unusual surnames and come from rather small places. So the wrong certificates might relate to people I am related to. Although I haven't discovered the links yet.

I use the POSTEM facility on FreeBMD when I get any certificate. Using the postem:

Birth: I list DOB & mothers maiden name

Marriage: Date of Marriage, Fathers names (on both partners)

Death: DOD and name of informant and if relative or not.

I keep all mine, but I keep mine with the relevant person who I had hope the certifcate was for. But have a post-it note attached (I have them in various sizes!)

I never throw them away. The GRO do not want them back.

You could always just donate them to the local FHS, who will keep them on file in their archives.

The certificate exchange, although a great idea, can be a long winded way of finding a certifcate that might be relevant to your research.

And there is also ShareBMD, where you can also enter all the details of certificates.

But for me the Postem system is probably the best, I love it when I find a postem added to any I am looking for, it is like a gift from a stranger. :-)

You never know when a wrong certificate might turn out to be right after all.

Sometimes it might depend on which order you bought them..eg. a man might state at marriage that his father's name was Thomas.

If you bought the younger man's birth certificate, it might say he was son of George.
Further research might show that father's given name, at birth was Thomas George.

I would never destroy wrong certs. I might look and offer them to anyone researching that family.
Sometimes the information on a wrong certificate gives strength to a clarification of people and helps prove that person is NOT a match.

Gwyn

If you google 'unwanted certificates' there are several options

Just one of them
http://www.certificate-exchange.co.uk/

or look for a FHS in the are and see if they want them. for eg this is a Liverpool one
http://www.liverpool-genealogy.org.uk/Help/certs.htm

Hello RockyMountainShy,

I have 19 wrong certificates (just counted) in a separate folder, would be happy to give them away.....but where would I do it....really do not want to burn or throw away, seems such a waste....

Misty x

There was a site you could put them on .Don't' know what the site was called now as have new laptop

a) throw them out/burn them

b) sent them back (that way 'they don't have to print them out all over again)

c) keep them (but if you keep them they will get mixed up with the right ones and then you are confused or you get the person next in line confused)