Finally found my grandfather's missing baby brother, who died not long after birth, using the maiden name search - brilliant. It's a bit restrictive in that you can only do one gender at a time and +/-2 years, but it's a very welcome addition nonetheless. You need to sign in to see the search form.....
https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/c...ates/Login.asp
"Following successful development and testing, the GRO online
historic birth and death indexes are accessible via our
website from today, 3 November. The indexes have been created
using GRO records which have already been digitised, and
cover birth records more than 100 years old, and death
records up to 1957 (the latest digitised year we hold).
The online indexes, will provide a customer enhancement,
making the indexes more readily available for searching
than the microfiche we currently make available via the 7
public libraries / records offices across England and
Wales. This service will be in addition to, rather than
replacing the facility to search the indexes at the 7
sites. The full set of indexes will still be held and
updated at these sites.
The online index also provides enhancements, to that on the
microfiche, where possible showing mother’s maiden name for
births prior to 1911, and age at death for those records
prior to 1865. There is also the facility to purchase a
certificate.
The index is accessible free of charge via the GOV.UK
website which links to our online ordering site."