Birth Registrations in WW1

[Debbss]

Hi
Is it possible that a birth in 1917 was NOT registered at all due to the War?

Many thanks

Debbs

[Elaine ..Spain]

Anything is possible!
My mother was born in October 1914 and for some reason her birth was not registered, even though her siblings were all registered.
Only found out in the 1960s when she tried to apply for a passport!

[Debbss]

Thanks Elaine, in a way I am pleased about that but it also frustrates the search!

Any tips on how to find his parents when I cant get a BC for him? There are no known siblings so I can't 'piggy back' from their information unfortunately

Debbs

[Elaine ..Spain]

Did he marry? His marriage certificate would give his father's name and occupation.
If he is deceased can you give us the name and what you know - if not send it to me in a PM and I'll see if I can see anything.

[Elwyn]

Some years ago a Registrar in London told me that unregistered births were quite common in the UK until 1948. Whilst before that there had long been a legal requirement to register a birth, there was no obvious immediate practical benefit and so occasionally people just didn’t bother. He cited illegitimacy as a common factor in unregistered births, though there could be other reasons. The behavioural change in 1948 came with the introduction of family allowance paid by the state. You needed a birth certificate to make a claim. As a result, from that time onwards people would nearly always register births promptly. Otherwise you wouldn’t get your money!

[Olde Crone Holden]

Another possibility is that you have the wrong birth year - try widening your search a few years.

OC

[webwiz]

My father-in-law was born in WW1. Although his mother was a Catholic he was baptised in the CofE church and the birth was not registered. His father was away in the war and possibly his mother thought that baptising him in the CofE meant that the registration was included (like in marriage). Anyway his birth was eventually registered when he was 16, and his certificate is marked "By special permission of the Registrar General". So it is possible that your man's birth was registered sometime many years later eg when he needed a passport or a NI number. If it is an uncommon name it would be worth searching all years up to say 1950.

[clematised]

There was a certificate that was required to start work at 14 or 15 as I have a copy of one somewhere for my cousin who is 102 this year but cant remember what it was called.

Edna

[Janet in Yorkshire]

Or possibly it was registered (or indexed) under a slight variation of name e.g Mumby for Munby, Monday for Munday, Davison for Davidson.

People were also put off by the fine, once the six weeks after the birth had passed.

Jay

[Debbss]

Thanks everyone for the advice and tips.

I have done a search with no date parameters set, result zero, and I have done wildcard searches for the possibilities of the name being spelt wrong, but I still find nothing.
This is his death reg:

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=onsdeath93&h=12587117&ti=5538&indiv=try&gss=pt&ssrc=pt_t48445725_p20113345252_kpidz0q3d20113345252z0q26pgz0q3d32768z0q26pgplz0q3dpid

His son corroborates that the dates are those on which he celebrated his birthday.
His MC gives very little info.
I found a 'possible' marriage of what could be his parents:

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/iexec?htx=View&r=5538&dbid=8753&iid=ons_m19163az-0495&fn=James+W&ln=Howe&st=r&ssrc=pt_t48445725_p20305709679_kpidz0q3d20305709679z0q26pgz0q3d32768z0q26pgplz0q3dpid&pid=63954115

Then, I think its the same James H dies in April 1917 just before William is born, which ties in with Father James deceased on the MC.
But its all speculative and I am stumped how to take it forwards :(

Debbs

[bubblebelle]

I may be talking out of my hat.... my mind is playing odd tricks on me and I do not recall if it was WW1 or 2 but I am pretty sure I found someone registered completely out of district for some reason.

[JudithM]

Another possibility is that his parents didn't marry and that although he used his deceased father's surname his birth was actually registered under his mother's surname, in which case, with no other info to go on I can't see how his birth could be found.

[Debbss]

The only ones I found were in Yorkshire, I traced and eliminated each of them

[JudithM]

I may be talking out of my hat.... my mind is playing odd tricks on me and I do not recall if it was WW1 or 2 but I am pretty sure I found someone registered completely out of district for some reason.

I don't know if this happened in WW1 as well but my brother was born and therefore registered in Derbyshire in WW2 although mum lived in north London. There was a scheme to evacuate expectant mums to maternity homes away from the city.

[margaretmarch]

Thanks everyone for the advice and tips.

I have done a search with no date parameters set, result zero, and I have done wildcard searches for the possibilities of the name being spelt wrong, but I still find nothing.
This is his death reg:

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=onsdeath93&h=12587117&ti=5538&indiv=try&gss=pt&ssrc=pt_t48445725_p20113345252_kpidz0q3d20113345252z0q26pgz0q3d32768z0q26pgplz0q3dpid

His son corroborates that the dates are those on which he celebrated his birthday.
His MC gives very little info.
I found a 'possible' marriage of what could be his parents:

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/iexec?htx=View&r=5538&dbid=8753&iid=ons_m19163az-0495&fn=James+W&ln=Howe&st=r&ssrc=pt_t48445725_p20305709679_kpidz0q3d20305709679z0q26pgz0q3d32768z0q26pgplz0q3dpid&pid=63954115

Then, I think its the same James H dies in April 1917 just before William is born, which ties in with Father James deceased on the MC.
But its all speculative and I am stumped how to take it forwards :(

Debbs

Is it the marriage in Leicester to surname Lucas?

Any idea where he said he was born?

Margaret

[margaretmarch]

There was a certificate that was required to start work at 14 or 15 as I have a copy of one somewhere for my cousin who is 102 this year but cant remember what it was called.

Edna

I think we have seen that called a Statutory Declaration for another thread on here.

Margaret

[Darksecretz]

Is it the marriage in Leicester to surname Lucas?

Any idea where he said he was born?

Margaret

looking at the marriage ref it is the one underneath James W in NP Bucks [to a Robins]

[Debbss]

Yes thats the one Julie, James H to Dorothy Kate Robins

[Debbss]

His son is adamant that he was born in NOrth Bucks, Blethley, Newport Pagnell area

[margaretmarch]

Yes thats the one Julie, James H to Dorothy Kate Robins

Do you know for sure that the mother was Dorothy Robins or is it that the James Howe marriage is the only one that seems likely?

Margaret