Genealogy Chat

I've just noticed that the date of birth of my g grandfather was Jan 23rd 1877 and the registration was over 1 year later - Jan 28th 1878. Would more than a 1 year gap have been possible then or could it be a GRO mistake? Carole

Have you viewed the certificate or are you going by the GRO index and the date that you have been given? Could it be a sibling who died?

Hi Pippa No I have the cert - that's why I'm wondering if the GRO made a mistake when copying it out. There were no siblings that I know of Carole

Legally a child has to be registered within 6 weeks, but there are many instances of late registration. Yesterday there was a thread about a child whose birth wasn't registered until she was in her 6th year - I assumed she needed to go to school. nell

Is it possible that his parents weren't married when he was born?

Spot on Pippa - he was illegitimate

Helen Yes, I read through some of the previous threads about this - can understand late registration for reasons of school, marriage etc, but why for a one-year old?

Where have you got the two dates from?? Are they the dates on the actual cert? How old is he on the 1881 census? Merry

Hi Marry from the cert I have him on the 1881 census - right age - hold on, am off to check update on 1881 age 3 ---oh , being thick here, what was the census date?

I'd check with the office that issued the certificate, my Grandad's birth certificate states he was registered in 1907 (he was born in 1901) but when I checked with the Registry Office they had actually made an error when they wrote out the certificate. Update: If the GRO have made a mistake they should replace the certificate free of charge I would think. Annette

Yes think so, if fhe was born in DEC 1877 then he would be aged 4 on an 1881 April census not three. But as he wasn't living with his parents then they could also have made a mistake. Best do as you suggest Annette, make sure there hasn't ben amistake from the GRO. Carole

If you got the cert from the GRO, don't bother going back to them......contact the LOCAL reg office where the cert was issued and ask them about their copy, which will be the original. Merry

Thanks for tips all - am busy trying to sort my maths out now - oh dear - they only kept me in O level maths because they had to. :-)

I think anything is possible I was helping a friend and her father was not registered until over 20 years later by his mother we haven't figured out why she redistered him so late as all the other children were registered at the right times, And when you goto the year of his birth he is hand written at the bottom and his page number is Mch31 showing he was registered in March 1931. ~ very strange Zoe

Hi, can I just ask if anyone knows if a marriage registration could be late? My Great great grandfather was listed on 1871 census as being married, with children dating back to 1864 but the only marriage record I can find is in 1908! could this be a mistake do you think? The names are Edward Chapman Barley and Septiana Anderton, so not likely to have the wrong one. Lynn : )

Carole, if born in DEC 1877 then he would be aged 4 on an 1881 April? He would be 3 years old, would not be 4 years untill dec 1881 Roy

Lynn, it's highly unlikely that the 1908 entry is a late reg for an 1860's marriage. More likely there was a reason they couldn't marry earlier, such as one of them already having a spouse (not saying this IS the reason!) Carole, Was your ancestor born in January?? If he was then it might be a slip of the pen by the registrar, entering the previous year by mistake......You know how it is,.....1st Jan we are all really concious of the new year, but after a few weeks we make a slip and write the previous year by mistake! Merry

That's right, Merry, my mother's birth certificate says her birth was registered the January BEFORE the December in which she was born! Kate.

Carole - I just realised something. If it was a late registration, then there should be a handwritten entry on the GRO birth index for the quarter in which he was actually born, saying 'see Mar 1878' or whatever quarter it was that the registration took place. So you can check for that, and if it isn't there I would bet on it being a mistake on the certificate. Kate.

Sorry all, been busy mailing Lancashire Registration office to ask them to check the dates Porkie Pie - yep realised I'd put my foot in it maths wise after (lol) Carole