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  • Informants

    Hi,
    I know there's no hard & fast rule about who the informant was for birth registrations, but in your experience, what relationships have you seen reporting the event, and with what frequency?

    I'm contemplating buy several birth certs, and wondering if an older brother (19yrs old) might have informed. Another possibility would be a grandmother from London coming to Devon or Bristol to attend the birth.

    Thanks
    Sarah

  • #2
    Here's a tally of the certificates I have:
    Father lllll lll
    Mother lllll lllll lll
    others nil
    Judith passed away in October 2018

    Comment


    • #3
      this is a small proportion of my Birth certs:

      Mother

      24

      Father

      8

      Other

      1 (and this was not a relative)
      Last edited by Darksecretz; 01-02-12, 08:35.
      Julie
      They're coming to take me away haha hee hee..........

      .......I find dead people

      Comment


      • #4
        mostly the parents registered the birth, in my experience. but it really is pot luck.

        Comment


        • #5
          oh I have also found that more often than not, you are more likely to get an 'other' relative that registers a death.

          I have grandchild/siblings/children/other relative...
          Julie
          They're coming to take me away haha hee hee..........

          .......I find dead people

          Comment


          • #6
            I think there is a list of those who may register a birth and it's not as many people as you think. It has to be someone who was present at the birth I'm sure. I'll check.

            OC

            Comment


            • #7
              Here is the current list



              Bob
              http://buswalks.co.uk

              Comment


              • #8
                Thanks bobdonk, I got sidetracked, lol.

                I think that list is more or less the same as it has always been since registration began.

                OC

                Comment


                • #9
                  Looking through mine: ..... for birth certificates it is almost always one of the parents. After all they had quite a while (was it six weeks?) in which to get round to the registering.

                  Death certificates are another matter! I have all sorts registering deaths from parent, spouse, child, in-laws, nephew/niece, neighbours, landlords, and Workouse officials.

                  Anne

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Anne

                    Again, these days it is only certain people who may register a death.

                    (Before 1875, pretty much anything went for registering births and deaths. Procedures were tightened up in 1875 when it was finally acknowledged that there was quite a bit of fraudulent registration going on.)

                    OC

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Well, for deaths I think all those in my list would still qualify ....

                      Who may register a death?
                      • a relative
                      • someone present at the death
                      • an occupant of the house
                      • an official from the hospital
                      • the person making the arrangements with the funeral directors
                      Anne

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        thanks, all, that's very useful.

                        I actually have an 1867 Irish civil reg, made by the eldest daughter who was present at the birth (it specifically states that on the record).

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          For births, mine are mostly father or mother but there's a fair few different ones. Grandfather, grandmother, uncle, aunt, brother, sister, sister in law, matron of lying in hospital, but none who weren't either family or an official person.

                          I don't suppose it would be that unusual for a grandmother to travel some distance for a birth. The birth I have that was registered by "uncle" was because the mother had a diffucult time, was a single mother and only had her brother in the city to help her. Granny was sent for and set out from Ayr but didn't make it in time. The mother died and the wee boy was registered by his uncle. Then Granny and uncle took the baby back down to Ayr but he also didn't survive the week and uncle registered the baby's death as well. Granny had registered her daughter's death in Glasgow before they left for Ayr.
                          Last edited by GallowayLass; 01-02-12, 18:02.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Now I just need to part with my money and find out the details!

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              I hope you get a good result.

                              You never know what gems of information might turn up with informants.
                              I was trying to make a firm link between an illegitimate birth in one surname with a child seen with a different surname in 2 census.
                              Birth certificate showed no father named in appropriate column, but what luck to find he had registered the birth and was shown by name and 'father' in the informant column.

                              Gwyn

                              Comment


                              • #16
                                Gwyn

                                Not sure I've understood that properly, but if the father of the illegitimate child registered the birth.....why wasn't his name in the column for father?!

                                OC

                                Comment


                                • #17
                                  Originally posted by Olde Crone Holden View Post
                                  Gwyn

                                  Not sure I've understood that properly, but if the father of the illegitimate child registered the birth.....why wasn't his name in the column for father?!

                                  OC
                                  Wasn't there a spell when he couldn't be put on the cert even if he laid claim to fatherhood?

                                  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


                                  • #18
                                    Oooh, Christine, off to have a look, I think you are right.

                                    OC

                                    Comment


                                    • #19
                                      And, of course, you are! There was indeed a time when a father's name could not be put on the cert as father in column 4, unless the mother was also present at registration.

                                      The work round was to have him sign as the informant, with father in brackets after his name. This applies only if he went on his own to register the birth.

                                      OC

                                      Comment


                                      • #20
                                        If the child is illegitimate for the father to be included in the father column both parents must register the birth.

                                        Other people who can register a birth are:

                                        • occupier of the house or hospital where the child was born
                                        • someone who was present at the birth
                                        • someone who is responsible for the child

                                        so if the father lived with the mother or was present at the birth he could be the informant.

                                        Bob
                                        http://buswalks.co.uk

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