Thanks Phoenix
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genera...land_and_Wales
Until 1926, there were no registrations at all of still born children. For illegitimate children, the original 1836 legislation provided that "it shall not be necessary to register the name of any father of a bastard child." From 1850, instructions to registrars were clarified to state that, "No putative father is allowed to sign an entry in the character of 'Father'." However, the law was changed again 1875 to allow a father of an illegitimate child to record his name on his child's birth certificate if he attended the register office with the mother. Wikipedia.
Short certificate
Long Certificate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_certificate
I wonder why birth registrations were setup with short certificates and long certificates, were they used for different purposes - and also the registrars not asking for your birth certificates when registering your marriage and your marriage certificate when registering your baby's birth in those moralising finger pointing times - were the authorities expecting people to be honest / did the registrars ever check up on information given to fine or imprison offenders as an example to others?
Were baptism records, birth certificates and marriage certificates precious documents in earlier times or did people give a variety of reasons why they didn't have these personal documents.
People die in all sorts of circumstances so obtaining their baptism, birth and marriage records could be difficult unless family and friends know where they were stored or the authorities searched the premises for any documentation if living alone.