Genealogy Chat

Seeing as all of us at sometime have communication with the various R Os around the country it would be interesting if we could post our opinions of the ROs we have dealt with- whether they were quick at sending certificates,helpful on the phone etc and also the libraries and what facilities they offer etc. Sarah

I have only dealt with two, Staffordshire Moorlands and Sale both were friendly. Staff- sent payment on the Saturday and by the Monday morning certificates were in my hand - good way to start the week! Sarah

Northampton Record Office and Peterborough Library were great. Both spent a long time looking up Kelly's and Pigot's Directories for me when I phoned them. No luck, but no charge and no "sorry can't help's" either. Margaret

Gateshead, Chester le Street, Stockton, Darlington (all County Durham), Middlesbrough, Northallerton (North Yorkshire) - all friendly & helpful with certificates arriving in a couple of days. The most unhelpful were London offices with the seemingly standard reply - "anything before 1900 is a three month wait - you will have to try the GRO. And anyway the boundarys have all changed so it will take too long to search."

Mine's not a record office but East Finchley Cemetery. I emailed them asking whether it was possible to search their records - a week later the cemetery manager emailed me to let me know their opening hours etc. and asked which names I was looking for - 4 hours later he emailed me all the information - obviously at a loose end that day!! Emma.

I recently phoned the Hull Daily Mail Archives to find out if there was an obituary notice or story regarding my Ggrandfathers death in 1941 The lady rang me back and said she had found 2 for the name I gave, and would I like photocopies. No payment was asked for, and the photocopies arrived the next day.

south australia are prompt in replying asking for more information but did not reply to my queery regarding cost in £s after making payment. still waiting to know if i have been sucsessfull

I have found Oldham Registry Office very helpful and friendly also very quick at sending certificates. Also the Yardley Cemetary in Birmingham. I have been looking for a relative for quite a while now. He committed suicide either in the 1930 or 40s. I dont know his age name or when exactly he died. Earlier this week after having a conversation with my husband he told me there were two family graves in Yardley cemetary. I rang them up on Wednesday giving information about some family I know who should have been buried there. A very helpful young man said he would ring me later today to let me know the names of who is in the family grave. I am hoping a name I don't recognise born in the early 1900s is there. I will let you know. I also told him about another family grave. He came up with names and dates of burials I did not have and, is also going to send me a plan of where the graves are if I wish to visit. So find out if you have a family grave. It could be a good way of finding more ancestors. Shirley

Nottingham Registry office are always very helpful usually receive the certificates back the day after they receive my request - I know they try to turn them all round the same day. Today I had to ring them to stop a search I'd asked for after I came across new information and realised I was asking for information on the wrong person - they were most helpful and said they would return my cheque! Julie

I have found Chester RO staff very helpful whenever Ive contacted them by email to check various parish entries they have always been very quick to respond and have given me the info I require,often more than I have asked for.Any copies Ive orderd have only taken a couple of days to get here. Manchester RO very good too,and very pleased to say have been on the phone today to Liverpool RO at the Central Library and the lady there most helpful Kathleen

Helpful Register Offices - Burnley (especially Valerie), North Yorkshire Office in Harrogate, Accrington Reg. Office. Rosegrove Library - Mrs Atkinson, (above and beyond the call...), Helen Barnett - Accrington Library. All helpful Staff at Blackley Cemetery Office, Manchester and Staff at Burnley Cemetery Office Bereavement Officer. All helpful. Staff at Stevenson's Monumental Masons (Burnley Cemetery) tried their best from info. I provided. A few years ago, "Old Mr Stevenson" (no disrespect) knew all graves without having to refer to records!! A lovely man. Male clerk at Burnley Cemetery Office itself - more bothered about eating his butties!!

Lucy I don't think it was a "loose end day" at Finchley. I have asked them a couple of times for help and been given it. The last time Someone even went to find the grave, and as it was a paupers grave He put a marker where He thought the grave was, and told me if I wanted to visit He would take me to it. What more can you ask, so nice to hear some people really do care isn't it? Lynda

I have found staff at Southampton Registry Office in Burgess Road very helpful and friendly. After my second visit, a nice lady gave me wodges of certificate application forms. Now I go in, give them the filled in forms, retreat to a pub up the road, have a pint, go back and pick up the certificates - that's what I call service!

Have used Wigan extensively (very helpful - have called me if they require any clarification and always prompt with certificates). Also used St Helens and Rochdale, both helpful. David

Portsmouth Rec Office have been very helpful. I ring in or write in with the details and a cheque - and they send the certs within a week! Once I made the cheque out to the Records Office and not the General Registrar and they still sent the certs in good faith that I would re-send the cheque! -Kat

I have found the lady at this office v very helpful,Liverpool Roman Catholic cemetarys,they only have details of Ford and Yew Tree,but she helped me a lot 0151 522 1017 Kathleen

Sutton Reg Office has been helpful. When I first started I asked for and got my gt granmother birth cert. The orginal entry was very hard to read, the mother maiden name. Both the staff had a look and also showed it to me. Together we deciphered it as best we could. I came away overjoyd(first ever cert) BUT upon further research I could find nothing that matched to this maiden name. Being a novice I called Sutton and asked for help. They very kindly searched for a siblings birth and clarified the surname for me. Nowadays I wouldn't dream of doing that before I'd tried every possible variation, but at the time was a newbie and very much need a helping hand. Shelli

West Bromwich office is very helpful. They will even try to hint to you if they think you may be barking up the wrong tree and try to point you in the right direction. Bradford did a thorough search for a death certificate for me with very little to go on. They found the right one, bless them. Smethwick archives go out of their way to help with research- Chris, if you read this I have a surprise for you. I found Birmingham a bit off putting but then they cover a very large area. Helena

Birmingham and Derby both excellent on phone and send certificates by return. Joan

Gainsborough and Preston register offices were both very helpful,I had replies in a couple of days.Sylvia Griffin