Record Office Search

[Granny Lynne]

Sorry if this is a daft question but I have only been to the archives once before accompanied by a member of FTF.

I have a number of possible births for one of my ggrandmother's brother. If I go to the records office will I be able to view the details of these records to determine which one is mine?

[Anne in Carlisle]

Do you mean baptisms or birth certificates? Records offices (archives) will only have baptism records to look at.

If you mean Register Offices, then I believe that if you go to the LOCAL register office where the event was registered you are supposed to be able to examine the registers. I know Guy has mentioned it several times before and it appears to be a little known (and even less complied with!) regulation. I have not tried it myself.

Anne

[Granny Lynne]

Hi Anne

I'm not sure what I meant LOL! I just need to confirm which of the records is the correct one so I would need to see the parent's names.

I didn't know you could search at the register office either. Maybe I should try that as they will definitely show parent's names.

[Darksecretz]

as long as the record office is where your relatives lived then yes, you will be able to look at the parish registers on microfiche. (this is as long as it was recorded as a baptism, and not a birth, (as you would be better with the cert) but if it was pre 1837 then you will need the parish registers.

alternately, should you have a local studies library near the place that your relatives came from then you should be able to view the parish registers at the library too, (but the best bet would be the records office!) as there might be several churches where the baptisms took place.

[Darksecretz]

Lynne,

what time frame are we talking? for the birth/bapt of your relative?

[Granny Lynne]

Thanks for that info Julie. I now realise there is more than one I need to find. They are the sister and 3 brothers of my ggrandmother, born between 1859 and 1867 (as per my other thread - Missing in 1891).

[Darksecretz]

Thanks for that info Julie. I now realise there is more than one I need to find. They are the sister and 3 brothers of my ggrandmother, born between 1859 and 1867.

hmmn, well you 'might' be lucky in that they didnt register the births and had the children baptised instead, (or both)! IF they were only baptised, then they should be in the parish registers, but IF they were not baptised and only had them registered then you will need the birth certs.

as a side note, havent you found them in the census with their parents? (or am I missing something here?) as the birth certs will only prove that they belong to that set of parents?

yours, confused.com

[Darksecretz]

If it is a birth cert you are after then you could try contacting the registry office local to the place of birth, and say you are looking to purchase certificates for XYZ that only have the parents ABC and give the time frames. They might be very helpful and look for them for you. (though I'm still abit confused as to why you want the certs if you know the parentage?)

[Granny Lynne]

LOL Julie

What I was trying to say is that there are several birth records on FreeBMD for each name. As Duffy is a common name I wanted to check out each record to determine which are the correct ones. Hope that now makes sense.

[Darksecretz]

LOL Julie

What I was trying to say is that there are several birth records on FreeBMD for each name. As Duffy is a common name I wanted to check out each record to determine which are the correct ones. Hope that now makes sense.

aaahhh (penny drops!) I see what you mean now,.. well, if you really want to buy the certs (to get the set of BMDs) then you will need to contact the local office and state what I have said previous ^^^^. this will then enable that you get the right cert for the right person.

does that help? though, you woulnt be able to use the GRO refs as the local offices dont use them! (they have their own system)

[Granny Lynne]

I'm probably being a bit too thorough Julie but I like to have confirmation of which birth record is correct.

[Granny Lynne]

Thanks Julie, I think we now understand each other LOL! (crossed posts).

[Darksecretz]

I'm probably being a bit too thorough Julie but I like to have confirmation of which birth record is correct.

not at all!! I know exactly what you mean, I like to get the 'set' wherever possible. if you are just adding the birth refs to each indvidual (as notes) then I sometimes will add POSSIBLE BIRTH in the notes and then the refs.. this then means I dont have to trawl for them again and as/when I can afford to buy the cert then I already have the info.

though if i was looking to get Jane Smith AMJ 1850 salford lancs, then I would contact the local office and ask if they have it with a mothers MN of Jones, if they havent then I know it isnt mine. (sorry I'm getting complicated!!)

[Granny Lynne]

not at all!! I know exactly what you mean, I like to get the 'set' wherever possible. if you are just adding the birth refs to each indvidual (as notes) then I sometimes will add POSSIBLE BIRTH in the notes and then the refs.. this then means I dont have to trawl for them again and as/when I can afford to buy the cert then I already have the info.

though if i was looking to get Jane Smith AMJ 1850 salford lancs, then I would contact the local office and ask if they have it with a mothers MN of Jones, if they havent then I know it isnt mine. (sorry I'm getting complicated!!)

Yes I do that too Julie.