Genealogists' Forum - We have branches everywhere!



Go Back   Genealogists' Forum - We have branches everywhere! > Research > Research Questions

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #11  
Old 21-09-19, 13:35
Margaret in Burton's Avatar
Margaret in Burton Margaret in Burton is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire
Posts: 5,153
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Olde Crone View Post
I didn't think you could have a short birth cert any more?

My daughter and her partner are not married. When they went together to register the birth of my grandson, they were asked what surname the boy will use and that is what is on his (long) birth certificate.

Historically, I was born before there was a surname column on birth certificates. It was assumed by convention that you would use the surname of your father but that has never been compulsory. So I assume that the same question that is asked now, was asked then - what surname will the child use. (Where the parents were not married to each other).

OC

The short cert is the free one you get when you register a birth. The long cert you pay for. You can’t buy a short cert later.

When OH registered my eldest in 1984 he brought back a short cert, really pleased with himself as it was free. I burst into tears, baby blues probably. The midwife was at our house at the time and she sent him back to the register office with orders not to come back until he’d done it properly. He didn’t make the same mistake with the second daughter.
__________________
Marg

Last edited by Margaret in Burton; 21-09-19 at 13:43.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 21-09-19, 13:41
Margaret in Burton's Avatar
Margaret in Burton Margaret in Burton is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire
Posts: 5,153
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Merry View Post
You are right about people not knowing how the system works OC. I know my mother used to think that short certificates were issued to illegitimate people, whilst everyone else had a full cert!
My mother in law insisted she only ever had the short cert and there couldn’t be one any different as she’d never had one. She also insisted she was born in a certain place as her cert just said Burton upon Trent. After she died father in law still insisted that she was born in this certain village, where she is buried, and that there wouldn’t be a different cert for her even though he had the full one himself.
I sent for her full cert. she was born in a the town centre of Burton not this village outside. Father in law refused to believe it was her cert even though the name, date and parents were correct because “she never had a certificate like that”.
__________________
Marg
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 21-09-19, 14:20
Olde Crone Olde Crone is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 4,768
Default

I wonder what earthly use a short certificate would be nowadays, when you have to prove your identity back to Adam, practically. Seems a waste of paper to me.

I was once in an LDS family history centre when an elderly lady stomped in and demanded that the manager changed the date of her parents wedding because the original register made it look as if her parents had only been married for five months when she was born and that could not POSSIBLY be right, lol. With great presence of mind, the manager said she would have to get the church to correct the "mistake".

OC
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 21-09-19, 14:40
Merry's Avatar
Merry Merry is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Near Christchurch, Dorset
Posts: 21,264
Default

lol that was quick thinking, OC. I wonder if she did approach the church?

Marg, I love the idea that the name, date and parents were correct but still the certificate was not the one!
__________________
Merry

"Something has been filled in that I didn't know was blank" Matthew Broderick WDYTYA? March 2010
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 21-09-19, 14:49
Margaret in Burton's Avatar
Margaret in Burton Margaret in Burton is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire
Posts: 5,153
Default

I imagine they have to offer a free short cert at the time of registration as it is compulsory to register a birth but what if someone felt they didn’t have the money at the time.

As OC says though, it wouldn’t be a lot of use later in life and they’d have to buy the full one.

Merry, the cert couldn’t possibly be hers because she didn’t have one and the place of birth was wrong as she wasn’t born where it said she was.
Mother in law thought she was born at her paternal aunts house when in fact she was born at her paternal grandmothers house.

As hard as I tried I could not convince father in law that everyone had a cert like that but her parents obviously didn’t buy the full one.
__________________
Marg
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 21-09-19, 16:16
kiterunner's Avatar
kiterunner kiterunner is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 25,271
Default

According to the Government website, you can still get a short birth cert when registering a birth, but you now have to pay full price for it:
https://www.gov.uk/register-birth/birth-certificates

Various local authority websites confirm that you do not get a free short cert any more.
__________________
KiteRunner

Family History News updated 29th Feb
Findmypast 1871 census update
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 21-09-19, 16:18
Merry's Avatar
Merry Merry is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Near Christchurch, Dorset
Posts: 21,264
Default

Interesting that they are both the same price.
__________________
Merry

"Something has been filled in that I didn't know was blank" Matthew Broderick WDYTYA? March 2010
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 21-09-19, 16:23
Margaret in Burton's Avatar
Margaret in Burton Margaret in Burton is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire
Posts: 5,153
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Merry View Post
Interesting that they are both the same price.
Why would you buy the short one if it’s the same price unless to hide parentage?
__________________
Marg
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 22-09-19, 01:28
NickiP NickiP is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 110
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Margaret in Burton View Post
As OC says though, it wouldn’t be a lot of use later in life and they’d have to buy the full one.
Well I've used my short certificate and had no issues with it. I had to prove identity when I started my current job this time last year. As I couldn't remember where the full birth cert was, I produced the short one which was accepted. It is still a legal certificate with your name and date of birth on.
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 22-09-19, 05:06
Kit's Avatar
Kit Kit is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,716
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Merry View Post
Marg, I love the idea that the name, date and parents were correct but still the certificate was not the one!
I've heard sadder. That baby isn't mine, I'm having a girl. Said by mother still currently attached by the umbilical cord.
__________________
Toni
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 05:19.


Hosted by Photon IT

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7 PL3
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.