1950's birth registrations

[Vicky the Viking]

I expect several of us will have come across cases where an unmarried teenage girl has a baby that is subsequently registered as belonging to grannie, to save face.

I know these days this would be next to impossible, because of all the form-filling done by the midwife etc, that has to be produced at the register office.

Does anyone know whether there would have been similar procedures in place in the 1950's to prevent a deliberate case of claiming the wrong person was the mother?

[KiteRunner]

I don't know the answer to your question, Vicky, although I don't remember having to take any forms filled in by a midwife when registering my children's births in the 1990's - something was sent directly to the register office from the hospital as I remember it so they would know to expect us.

I have heard of a few cases where a girl has given birth on her own and has concealed her pregnancy from everybody, and in that kind of situation I can imagine her mother possibly registering herself as the baby's mother and saying she gave birth at home unexpectedly? But I would think in most cases where the grandmother is passing herself off as the baby's mother, the birth is registered correctly but they don't go showing the (long) birth certificate off!

[Vicky the Viking]

you know how people talk...

The birth is registered to a mum aged 47, 15 years after her previous child, showing the correct mmn etc. The gossip suggests that the baby's mum was actually the 15 year-old daughter, which would have been incredibly scandalous in the early 50's. Just wondered if it would have been possible to fake the registration in those days.

[Little Nell]

of course it would - you turn up and say I gave birth and who will contradict you?

I know that husband and I registered our children's births and I don't recall anyone having to produceany paperwork from the midwife or anywhere else.

I think hospitals/midwives have to send details of babies born, but I don't think they do anything other than produce numbers and sex.

And no one asked me how old I was or when I last gave birth!
I could have said anything I liked, I guess. My occupation on youngest son's cert was a job I hadn't done for over 3 years, but I still had it put down on cert to sound impressive and give a clue as to what I had done before turning into a brain'dead mum!

[Olde Crone Holden]

I agree, perfectly possible in the 1950s. The National Health Service was still very new, antenatal care was not compulsory and people were a lot more trusting all round, including officialdom.

On the other hand, yes, I do know how people talk!

Some years ago, I was beside myself with fury when I was stopped in the street by a distant acquaintance, who asked if my grandchild had arrived yet. As my eldest daughter was barely 12 at the time, I nearly ate this woman whole. She stuttered and stammered and said it was nothing to be ashamed of blah blah.

Eventually the penny dropped - I had been seen at a car boot sale, buying a Moses basket (which I intended to do up and sell on). Someone had seen me and when I did not produce a baby myself, ASSUMED one of my daughters must be pregnant!

On the other hand - people happily lie to the Registrar but usually don't lie to the Vicar - a baptism may tell the true story.

OC

[Little Nell]

Found this, which applies today
"Birth registration is free and parents or guardians are given a free short birth certificate which can be used for child benefit applications. Full certificates are now required for first passport applications for children and these certificates can be purchased at the time of registration. When attending, it is very helpful to bring the letter issued by the hospital which confirms the date of birth and national health service number of the baby."
Medway Council - Registration of births

but it doesn't say you have to produce it!

[Vicky the Viking]

so even today it would be possible for someone to register a baby that doesn't even exist?

Why don't I have 20 kids - I could retire on the child benefit I could be claiming!

[Little Nell]

Um. How do we get CB? Do we have to apply? I can't remember. I am sure there's a snag somewhere Vicky. It would be difficult to cope when the clinic sends you reminders about injections and wants to give your child its regular checks.

[Little Nell]

Anyway 20 kids
"£18.80 per week for the eldest child
£12.55 per week for each additional child "

works out at £257.25 a week or £13, 377 a year. But of course it stops when child reaches 19 maximum.

You would probably need to have multiple births to fit 20 kids in, anyway

[KiteRunner]

Vicky, of course it is possible to break the law in any number of ways - but if you break the law then you run the risk of being found out and facing whatever the penalty is. If the state tried to set things up to prevent people being able to break the law in the first place, what would life be like? 1984, I would think.

[Olde Crone Holden]

I think these days it would be very difficult to register a child which didn't exist.

Hispitals routinely send lists of births to the local Registrar and so do midwives for births at home. Should the child's birth not be registered within the correct time, then enquiries are made and someone is alerted to find out why not.

It would still be FAIRLY easy to conceal a birth altogether, but if you turned up to register a non-existent baby, you might have problems - the baby wouldn't be on anyone's list and the Health Visitor would be making interested visits to your home!

OC