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Obtaining copies of Parish Registers, - Marriages

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  • Obtaining copies of Parish Registers, - Marriages

    Please can someone tell me the best ( and cheapest ) way to obtain copies of original registers?
    Should I contact the local Record Office, Register Office or other Archive?

    This is for a friend who already has copies of the marriage certificates through GRO, but research has suggested that these might be 2 marriages for the same man, so we wish to compare his signatures.
    Areas are Tynemouth 1871 and Whitby 1883.
    Obviously she knows all details re. date and location etc. so this will help find the correct items fairly easily.

  • #2
    If you have the exact date then the local archives or library will probably be able to help you for a small fee.

    I used Rotherham records office for a few burial records which I had found on line and was very pleased with the service and it was quite cheap.

    I e-mailed and got a quote first.
    Lin

    Searching Lowe, Everitt, Hurt and Dunns in Nottingham

    Comment


    • #3
      I think your best bet is to ask the Register Office identified on the certificates and tell them what you want to see. They may want to charge you for another copy of the record but it may only be the cost of a photocopy.
      Margaret

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      • #4
        Originally posted by margaretmarch View Post
        I think your best bet is to ask the Register Office identified on the certificates and tell them what you want to see. They may want to charge you for another copy of the record but it may only be the cost of a photocopy.
        Margaret
        The Register Office copy may or may not have a copy of the original signatures. The Parish Register certainly should have.

        There are some people on FTF who go to local Records Offices / Archives (http://www.familytreeforum.com/forum...esearch-Offers) and will get a copy for you - though you should be willing to cover expenses, of course. Or you could post a Request thread, here: http://www.familytreeforum.com/forum...earch-Requests

        And don't forget that there are a few PR images available online. It depends what area you're after. There's a dedicated area of a site for Medway records. Essex is gradually putting theirs up - but they are heading for a paid system. There are a few for Handsworth. Family Search has a lot, now, especially for northern counties.

        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)...

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        • #5
          I don't want to throw a spanner in the works but I am sure I have read somewhere that Records Offices now have to charge £9.50 for a photocopy of a marriage cert, in accordance with the GRO price structure, even though it is a church record they are photocopying for you.

          I may be wrong...I hope so!

          OC

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          • #6
            Just had a look at what I paid for the burial cert and it was 5 x 45p for photocopying, £3.00 handling fee and 65p for postage.

            I was pleased with this as one of the burials was a brother of my Grandmothers. I knew from 1911 census that there was another child and I have this as a record and haven't had to buy certs.

            I see what you are saying OC and it makes sense as otherwise the staff may be inundated with requests.

            I must say that I like to get a copy of a marriage cert if it is at the local archives because of the original signatures.
            Lin

            Searching Lowe, Everitt, Hurt and Dunns in Nottingham

            Comment


            • #7
              I don't think it is because they would be inundated with requests, I think it is because the GRO owns the images of MARRIAGE certificates and they charge £9.50 for a copy. The Records Office is thus acting as an agent of the GRO when it photocopies a marriage cert for sale.

              There is of course no charge should you just want to look at the certificate in the church records and copy it by hand.

              I'd be very interested to hear if anyone has had to pay £9.50 for a copy marriage cert from a RECORDS office.

              OC

              Comment


              • #8
                I think that they charge the GRO rate if you send for a copy, but it's just photocopy price if someone attends the records office and takes their own copy.

                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


                • #9
                  Thanks Christine, that's very interesting! I wonder if the GRO knows about this, as they are technically depriving the GRO of revenue.

                  OC

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Olde Crone Holden View Post
                    Thanks Christine, that's very interesting! I wonder if the GRO knows about this, as they are technically depriving the GRO of revenue.

                    OC
                    If someone attends, themselves, and takes their own copies, I think it's easier to contend that they're simply allowing someone to take copies of parish register pages, rather than specifically supplying a marriage entry for a particular couple.
                    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


                    • #11
                      The copyright in the parish register is vested in the incumbent of the parish, I believe, not the GRO.

                      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


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Olde Crone Holden View Post
                        I don't want to throw a spanner in the works but I am sure I have read somewhere that Records Offices now have to charge £9.50 for a photocopy of a marriage cert, in accordance with the GRO price structure, even though it is a church record they are photocopying for you.

                        I may be wrong...I hope so!

                        OC
                        The above is wrong, though you may not want to question it.

                        Record Offices (if doubling as archdeaconry archives) have a pricing structure for copies of parish registers set under the Ecclesiastical Fees Measure 2011 by the Parochial Fees Order current fees are-
                        The Order prescribes the fees payable in respect of certain matters in connection with marriages and burials, for the erection of monuments in churchyards and for other miscellaneous matters. The fees are in substitution for the fees prescribed by the Parochial Fees Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/2106).


                        This means one could pay up to £19.00p for a copy of a register entry.
                        Cheers
                        Guy

                        P.S. If you have a number of ancestors in one parish purchase microfiche or microfilm copies of the registers it works out far cheaper.
                        Last edited by Guy; 15-09-11, 07:55.
                        Guy passed away October 2022

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                        • #13
                          Thanks Guy. No, I won't be questioning it, lol!

                          OC

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                          • #14
                            I may be incorrect but I believe these high prices are charged when the RO provides a certificate of the event. Their charges for a photocopy are usually cheaper but a lot more expensive than they used to be & no-one has ever queried me taking copies from film/fiche at the going rate which is now about 65p for A4.
                            Glen

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                            • #15
                              Naturally I cannot now remember where I read about this but the justification I remember was that the GRO own ALL images of marriage certs (although the church may own the copyright....) and that parity needed to be established between the cost of copying a marriage cert from a Register Office (you can only get this from a Register Office of course) and the cost of copying a church marriage cert.

                              No matter because even if I remember this correctly, the ROs do not appear to be enforcing it.

                              OC

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                              • #16
                                i assume ancestry's images would come directly from the church registers then.....

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                                • #17
                                  Wow.... so much interest and so many shared thoughts, Thank you everyone.

                                  I will do some ringing around today and see how I get on.
                                  I have taken many copies of marriages from fiche / film held in Record Offices or libraries and have only paid whatever was the going rate of photo-copying.
                                  I live near the Channel coast so too far to check these particular records for myself.

                                  I'll report back when I have a result.......

                                  Gwyn

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                                  • #18
                                    If the parishes you are interested in come under Tyne & Wear then it appears they have a £5 minimum charge which is what you would pay although per photocopy is only 50p. A lot cheaper than a train fare & a hotel.
                                    Glen

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                                    • #19
                                      Originally posted by Olde Crone Holden View Post
                                      Naturally I cannot now remember where I read about this but the justification I remember was that the GRO own ALL images of marriage certs (although the church may own the copyright....) and that parity needed to be established between the cost of copying a marriage cert from a Register Office (you can only get this from a Register Office of course) and the cost of copying a church marriage cert.
                                      The possible argument is that the vicar/minister/celebrant is acting as the agent of the registrar, who in turn is the agent of the Registrar-General.
                                      Uncle John - Passed away March 2020

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                                      • #20
                                        Have had a quote for one photo-copy of one marriage from parish register so far,

                                        £6 plus 43p postage.

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