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  • Certs. Question

    I was wondering when did it become the norm. for people to get a copy of their own birth/wedding cert. as we now do?? Was it when registration first started or sometime later?

  • #2
    The only time in my life that I can actually REMEMBER having to produce my birth cert, was 20 years ago when I wanted a passport.

    I had to ask my father if he had my BC...no, he didn't!

    OC

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    • #3
      I imagine that you got a copy when you registered an event. But I don't think it was needed to be produced as often as we have to nowadays. Most people didn't need passports or open bank accounts.
      ~ with love from Little Nell~
      Chowns, Dunt, Emms, Mealing, Purvey & Smoothy

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      • #4
        On the other hand, I distinctly remember the Registrar handing me a copy of my marriage certificate and saying "This is yours, it belongs to you, not to your husband".

        From that I guess you always get a copy of your marriage cert, whether you ask for it or not. I think short birth certs are free at time of registration.

        OC

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        • #5
          Yes they are, and my cheapskate Dad only got the short version. I was most indignant when I found that lots of illegitimate children had these because they didn't name parents (or lack of them!). I got the long version for myself and found that Dad had registered me "by declaration" which was exciting! It just meant that he went to provide details of my birth at his local register office which wasn't in the reg district where I was born.
          ~ with love from Little Nell~
          Chowns, Dunt, Emms, Mealing, Purvey & Smoothy

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          • #6
            I have a copy of my mother's original (short version) birth certificate from 1915, and given her family's economic circumstances (very poor, with 8 children under 15) I can't imagine that they would have spent any extra money for a copy. So presumably the practice of issuing certs at the time of registration goes back that far at least.

            Tim
            "If we're lucky, one day our names and dates will appear in our descendants' family trees."

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            • #7
              I imagine you'd need a cert to prove you had registered the event? But it is a sobering thought to imagine how many of these original certs were thrown out.
              ~ with love from Little Nell~
              Chowns, Dunt, Emms, Mealing, Purvey & Smoothy

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              • #8
                My mums family only had the short certs. OH's dads family also only had the short certs.

                I remember when I had our first child hubby went to register the birth and came back with the short cert cause it was free.

                I went crazy at him and insisted on one with her parents named on it, just at the same time the midwife arrived and promptly sent him back down to the register office to get a "proper one".

                I was in tears and she said it was the baby blues and unless he wanted problems he would do as she told him

                As far as I was concerned he put price above the birth of our first child.

                He did as he was told and didn't make the same mistake with the second one.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Margaret in Burton View Post

                  I remember when I had our first child hubby went to register the birth and came back with the short cert cause it was free.

                  I went crazy at him and insisted on one with her parents named on it, just at the same time the midwife arrived and promptly sent him back down to the register office to get a "proper one".
                  Oooh blimey, I've only got short certs for our children!!

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Merry Monty Montgomery View Post
                    Oooh blimey, I've only got short certs for our children!!

                    Shame on you Merry ;);)

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                    • #11
                      I have a birth cert issued in 1878 for a birth in 1871. It was issued for the purpose of the Elementary Education Act 1876 or "for any purpose connected with the Elementary Education or Employment in Labour of a Child".

                      I presume the family didn't get one at the child's birth but had to later in order to get her into school.

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                      • #12
                        I made sure hubby bought the long cert for ours. Told him specifically to make sure he had the £3? with him when he went lol
                        Tracy

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                        • #13
                          'fraid I don't know the answer to your question, Gill -but I do know someone born in 1919
                          who obtained a passport in the 1940's and now claims the OAP without the existence of a Birth Certificate which confirms those details
                          Joan died in July 2020.

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                          • #14
                            thanks for comments, I might contact the GRO to ask, It's just that after having bought 3 of them over past month and all of them having 'X' marks I just wondered if they had been able to read them so not realising the significance - not to mention had they kept them we all wouldn't be coughing up £7 a go for immediate family ones had they been kept!!!!!!

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                            • #15
                              Gill, they would only get the full birth certificate if they paid the price for it. Before the "short birth certificate" was introduced, there was something similar called a "certificate of registry of birth" which you could get at the time of registering it, and it was much cheaper than the full certificate so most people would have got that one. It doesn't tell you much, only the name, date of birth, date of registration and registration reference numbers. As has been mentioned, people could get a birth certificate without paying full whack if it was to prove their age when they started school etc.

                              I'm sure they would get a copy of the marriage certificate anyway, and I think you have to pay for each copy of a death certificate, but not certain about that because I haven't had to register a death yet.
                              KiteRunner

                              Every five years or so I look back on my life and I have a good... laugh"
                              (Indigo Girls, "Watershed")

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                              • #16
                                Kate

                                I think the current thing is one FREE death cert (I need to check that) at the time of registration and the option to buy further certified certificates at a cut price rate (at the time of registration).

                                When my father died I bought ten extra copies at, I think, £3 each, as his financial affairs were complicated and many official bodies keep the death cert for their records.

                                I think I finished up with three copies at the end of the day - some government departments returned the certificates, stamped on the back.

                                OC

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                                • #17
                                  Yes OC your right 1st one is free but they did me photocopies for insurance etc at 10p copy ;;
                                  borobabs passed away March 2018

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                                  • #18
                                    Borobabs

                                    Miost of the companies etc I dealt with wanted originals, not photocopies - this was in 2000.

                                    OC

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                                    • #19
                                      Oh right fussy ones then ,,,uncs bank and the insurance peeps were all quite happy for copys last year but there was no solicitors etc just showed bank his will;;
                                      borobabs passed away March 2018

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                                      • #20
                                        I suppose my original thoughts that they just didn't require them so were they given them? Has been answered, and the same with marriage & death certs. It sounds as if they were given them but possibly they just got lost - I suppose it's only been since (maybe around 1920s) when 'working class' people needed proof of who they were for whatever reason that more care was taken of them, as with Kiterunner I haven't (fortunately) had to deal with death certs yet, but take on board others comments about getting copies done at time for insurance/banks etc - thanks all

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