Direct line BMD Certificates

[Lynn The Forest Fan]

I haven't bought any certs recently & decided to see how many of my direct line certificates, that I still have to get. I was horrified to discover that I have 59 outstanding & that is just on my father's side! This doesn't include those who may have died after 1837, but I am not yet aware of.

I remember that there was a thread on about this before, is this a normal amount, or am I the only one who needs so many?

[Joan of Archives]

Hi Lynn

I still have loads to get, plus the odd one where curiosity gets the better of me, lol!

I am blessed with pretty uncommon names in my tree plus an elderly aunt who has the most wonderful family stories, all of which I have discovered, she has been right about!

;)

[Lynn The Forest Fan]

My Mum's name isn't common, but I have bought a lot of the certs for that side & I have a cousin who has given me copies of certificates for Mum's family as well. Dad's side has been easy to trace, despite him being a Smith, so hopefully the certs wouldn't contain any great surpises.

[Olde Crone Holden]

You must be a lot younger than me, LOL!

Just had a quick count up...if you say 5 certs for each couple, then I should have 70 certs, minus a few of these who were born and married before civil registration. (My 2 x GGPs).

So - 70 minus 16 births, all born before civil reg. = 54.

54 minus 2 births never registered = 52

52 less 5 death certs not yet purchased (due to following a wrong line for YEARS lol) = 47.

So how come I have over 100 certs, pmsl.

OC

[Vivienne]

You must be a lot younger than me, LOL!

Just had a quick count up...if you say 5 certs for each couple, then I should have 70 certs, minus a few of these who were born and married before civil registration. (My 2 x GGPs).

So - 70 minus 16 births, all born before civil reg. = 54.

54 minus 2 births never registered = 52

52 less 5 death certs not yet purchased (due to following a wrong line for YEARS lol) = 47.

So how come I have over 100 certs, pmsl.

OC

My thoughts exactly OC. :D
I admit I haven't done Mums side, (there's a professional in the family on that side) But I have all the certs in my Dads direct line that it is possible to get plus others I thought were interesting.

[Lynn The Forest Fan]

I think I am a tiny bit younger OC, not reached 40, yet! It is 59 missing ones though, not 59 in total. the earliest certifcate that is available on Dad's side is my gggg grandparents' deaths.

[Lynn The Forest Fan]

I also have 4 non direct line certs. One is my only incorrect cert, (I only tend to order if I am really sure). One is the birth of a ggg uncle whose name (John Free Smith)was easier to find than his brother (George Smith). I ordered my great uncle's death cert, as I wanted to find out if how he had died and the other was for a man listed as a nephew, to try & find out who his mother was, which then helped to find his grandparents.

[Vivienne]

I think I am a tiny bit younger OC, not reached 40, yet! It is 59 missing ones though, not 59 in total. the earliest certifcate that is available on Dad's side is my gggg grandparents' deaths.

Oh golly that does make me feel old.

The ealiest cert I have is the marriage of my 2x gt grandparents marriage in Oct 1838.:D

[Lynn The Forest Fan]

:o Sorry Vivienne.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Actually, just realised its a bit more than 70, because lots of them married twice.

Also, my Scottish 3 x GGPs were younger than the English ones (I mean born later!) and I have most of their death certs, if nothing else.

I downloaded a free Ahnentafel chart a few months ago, and it doesn't half show up the holes in your research! I hadn't really realised till I filled it in, that I do not know the maiden names of 5 of my 3 x GGMs.

That is five potentially new lines of research if I can ever find their names.

Three of my 3 x GGPs were illegitimate - I know the name of one father, can have a good guess at another (but only a guess) and the third is a closed book - the name is too common in the area and not a clue about either his mother or his father.

OC

[Lynn The Forest Fan]

I only have 23 missing on Mum's side, but her family seem to be older.

[Christine in Herts]

If my arithmetic is right, it looks as if my lot has a max potential (by generation) of 31 direct-line M-certs - less three either too early, or non-events (:o). Of those, I have 26 (either formal certs or Register copies, which are different only for legal purposes).

For B-certs the max potential seems to be 30 but at least one of those doesn't seem to have been registered. I have 18 direct-line B-certs. I have three Baptism certs/records for that lot, of which two are overlapped by B-certs.

For D-certs there's a (ruthless, but excluding my own generation) max potential for 124. I seem to have got 18 D-certs. Having said that, there are some that I know to have been too early for civil registration, and there are some where I don't know the name of the person for whose D-registration I would have been looking (i.e. the Errant Father of an illegitimate child - and his ancestors). On the other hand I do have 5 burial records for people for whom I could get D-certs.

Christine

PS - I also have a few records for ancestors' marriages to partners other than direct-line, a few other certs, and a number of register copies where the opportunity arose to get copies, for people of interest.

[Joan of Archives]

Oh dear now look what you started Lynn ! lol

I have found on the IGI & Ancestry a Jones in Suffolk that is possibly the sister of g. g. grandma

I have been trying to find the maiden name of her mother for ages, shall I send for the cert ?

*checks credit card bill*

[Little Nell]

How many certs depends on
a) how many generations between 1837 and you
and also I suppose on how many of your direct line married more than once.

If I started totting up how much this "hobby" cost me I'd be appalled, which is why I haven't!!

[Simon in Bucks]

How many certs depends on
a) how many generations between 1837 and you
and also I suppose on how many of your direct line married more than once.

If I started totting up how much this "hobby" cost me I'd be appalled, which is why I haven't!!

This hobby has cost me loads..........but worth every penny. It's not just the info found out - but all the people I have met, spoken to, communicated with. And it's been great e-mailing with extended cousins etc etc. And of course all you guys and gals on here.

Surely if you were 'clinical' you would only be counting the Marriage certs that led to you. Not ones that didn't result in a Direct Ancestor.

Actually this gives me a rather good idea for a Thread............hmmmmm

[Little Nell]

And what else would I have spent my money on? My sons would say "more handbags" lol!