Unconfigured Ad Widget

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Birth Registration

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Birth Registration

    I was looking through the certificates I have - mostly 1850's -1920's and thinking how wonderful it is that parents always seemed to register their children's births, and within the time limit (with one notable exception in my case LOL)

    I was just wondering what drove them to do this? (Surely not for our benefit!)

    How would the unregistered birth have been uncovered, particular when most births were at home ?
    Joan died in July 2020.

  • #2
    Before 1875, it was the responsibility of the REGISTRAR to make sure that births were registered, so he would go around knocking on doors, and chatting to the Vicar or the local busybody.

    But many births went unregistered (in my family!) although I can almost always find a baptism for them.

    After 1875 there was a fine for not reporting a civil event, so that spurred on the stragglers. But even so, if you were determined not to register a birth, you could get away with it I suppose.

    OC

    Comment


    • #3
      Thanks OC

      Just wondering - did anyone check up that the Registrar was fulfilling his/her duties? Did they get a bonus per registration? Or were they just very conscientious people?
      Joan died in July 2020.

      Comment


      • #4
        In the course of doing some FH research for a friend, I came across a couple of instances where births seem not to have been registered, even in the early C20th. The motivation for avoiding the task seems to have been shame of an illegitimate birth. Needless to say, it caused all sorts of problems in later life.

        Christine
        Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...

        Comment


        • #5
          I have an interesting case where the grandmother registered the birth early 1900s in London. But the child was apparently born illegitimately in another country!( not county) So not sure what is happening there

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Kim View Post
            I have an interesting case where the grandmother registered the birth early 1900s in London. But the child was apparently born illegitimately in another country!( not county) So not sure what is happening there
            Sounds like a bid for British Nationality, to me!

            Christine
            Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...

            Comment


            • #7
              In my and my husband's trees virtually all relatives were registered (though some unhelpfully as "male" or "female" and without paying for the certs I can't be sure its the same families, though v. likely). All the illegitimate children were registered - and in one case re-registered after parents' marriage.
              ~ with love from Little Nell~
              Chowns, Dunt, Emms, Mealing, Purvey & Smoothy

              Comment

              Working...
              X