In those times all National Insurance information was kept on cards in Long Benton I believe as the computer systems that hold that information were not used until 1988. I would imagine it was a case of you told them you were born in x year and provided proof of who you were and I think they just believed you not like these days.
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Jacob Sudders born in Prussia c.1775 married Alice Pidgeon in 1800 in Gorelston. Do you know where Jacob was born?
If you have no birth cert when you reach pensionable age, they will ask you to swear an affidavit that you are who you say you are, possibly backed by witnesses, and they will then check back to see when your National Insurance contributions started, to see if your working life tallies with your age.
After all, if you have paid into the system for many years then you are entitled to draw from it.
Although I do have a copy of a cert isued in 1945 which says at the top
" Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth supplied at the Special fee of 1/- applicable in certain Statutory Cases. This Certificate is isssued for the Purposes of Widows, Orphans and Old age Contributory Pensions Act"
I suppose you could also show payslips with your NI deductions on it, or find a baptism.
There must have been a way to do this, as my husband's gt grandfather had a pension, although when he applied for his birth cert it wasn't found. I have since discoved that this is because although he was called Charles Carter his birth was registered as Charles Albert McCarthy. It's odd he didn't remember this though, as he had older siblings who retained the McCarthy name and were living near him in his early adulthood.
Proof of war service was also used to calculate your age roughly.
Nell
In the case of your husband's gf not finding his birth cert, I do wonder how efficient the GRO are/were in cases like this. Maybe they asked him his surname, he said Carter but didn't explain it might also have been McCarthy and the GRO didn't look further than the end of their nose.
You must all surely remember "Brian's Story" on GR - the poor chap who had never had a birth cert cos the GRO couldn't find one. The GRO did NOT offer him the information or suggestion that he may not have been born in England. In fact he was born and registered in the IOM.
Thanks, Nell - that's very helpful, as my closest living relative claims the State Pension, and does not have a birth certificate showing the name under which he claims - hope that makes sense!
Proof of war service was also used to calculate your age roughly.
Nell
In the case of your husband's gf not finding his birth cert, I do wonder how efficient the GRO are/were in cases like this. Maybe they asked him his surname, he said Carter but didn't explain it might also have been McCarthy and the GRO didn't look further than the end of their nose.
You must all surely remember "Brian's Story" on GR - the poor chap who had never had a birth cert cos the GRO couldn't find one. The GRO did NOT offer him the information or suggestion that he may not have been born in England. In fact he was born and registered in the IOM.
OC
Thanks again OC
This person would not have proof of war service as he was registered as a conscientious objector. I doubt that would suffice (?)
I believe Charles didn't know he was a McCarthy to start with - it was a shock to surviving family members when it was discovered. Charles is known as Carter from 1871 census, so he probably never thought he'd been registered as anything else. But why Dennis also turned into James I just don't know!
But there would be proof somewhere that he registered as a conscientious objector.This means he was called for war service, and would prove that a) He had a birth cert and b) he was at least 17 when called up.
I believe all co's had to attend a hearing in the Magistrate's Court in order to be registered.
I have no idea if there was a central registration, or if such records survive - probably at TNA if so.
Also, cos were required to do noncombatant work during the war, or go to prison.
OK, now I am not sure of this next bit, but I THINK your reply means he must have had a birth certificate, because how else would the government have known to issue call up papers?
Does anyone know how conscription was done - I mean, what records did they use to decide who was old enough to be called up? If it was birth certs, then he must have been registered, in a name that he was still using when he was called up.
I know this sounds like I'm being argumentative but in an age before computers how would they cross reference birth certificates with death certificates taking into account that people could have moved anywhere to call them up?
Click here to order your BMD certificates for England and Wales for only £9.25 General Register Office
Do you have camera? Click here to see if you can help Places of Worship
Jacob Sudders born in Prussia c.1775 married Alice Pidgeon in 1800 in Gorelston. Do you know where Jacob was born?
The only reason I know he was a CO is that I recently found reports of the tribunal hearing on The Guardian on line site .........in the name that there is no cert for!!!!
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