Would you put this child in your tree?

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Yes, I do know her date of death and I do have both their death certs, so I could try that, I suppose (*feels stressed at pretending I am more than 10 years older than reality* lolol :D)

The other problem is that they were married for 12 years and I have no idea when these still births occurred (if they did occur), plus, as my father was in the services they did spend some time abroad from time to time, so that sticks a spanner in the works too!!

I think it's because of the above extra difficulties that I didn't push it when they said they wouldn't look,because I am not a full sibling. Thinking about it though, I wonder just how many still births were registered? If they have an annual index rather than a quarterly one (like the overseas BMDs) then as my maiden surname is reasonably rare, there's not likely to be much for them to look at (if anything).

I think I might have another try, because, as you say, their rule does seem to be being applied unfairly and if something can be done about that it could help other people even if it doesn't help me.

[Little Nell]

I'm wondering about this. It says on the gro site that stillbirths must be registered within 42 days and can be done either at the hospital or the local register office. Does the hospital inform the authorities? If you were dreadfully griefstricken and didn't do it, would it be chased up by anyone?

How many stillbirths would go unrecorded after 1927? Just curious about it.

I have several ancestors who died in childbirth, with apparently no birth or infant death recorded, and I've assumed the child was stillborn. I suppose I could check the burial registers for stillborn babies at about that time.

[Little Nell]

A stillbirth is "deaths of unborn babies after the 24th week of pregnancy. They are commonest among the under-20s and over-40s and ethnic minorities."

source: BBC NEWS | Health | Stillbirth numbers not reducing 2007 report which quotes the current stillbirth rate as 5.5 per 1,000 births. I suppose earlier it would have been higher.

[Mary from Italy]

Merry, have you tried burial records? A burial cert was required to bury a stillborn child, and stillborn children are included in cemetery registers. If you know the cemetery where they're likely to have been buried, it might be worth e-mailing. The hospital may also know where they were buried (if they were born in hospital).

[KiteRunner]

Don't forget this thread is open to google, everyone!