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Ancestry Daily News
6/19/2001 - Archive
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Can You Help Me? And Other Questions About English Vital Records Since 1837 |
Can You Help Me? And Other Questions About English Vital Records Since 1837
I have forgotten what it is like to be an absolute beginner. So,
when e-mail exchanges with the ONS (What's that? Read on.) generated the idea
of presenting and answering some of the thousands of questions it receives,
I decided this would be a challenge.
Already, in the title and the first paragraph, two typical questions have been
raised. A few others are "How do I know these people are mine?" "Has the genealogy
library near me here in 'Anytown' purchased your indexes?" "Will the birth record
of my great-grandfather tell me about his parents?" "Thanks for the certificate,
but the date of birth is different from what I was told, why?" "Do I have enough
information for a search?"
You get the picture. Full of eagerness and enthusiasm to track down an ancestor,
many people scan the Internet for where to find what they need, and then fire
off the questions. I am going to begin by saying, read about the records, just
to get it out of the way. It is sensible advice, it can be followed, on the
Web or in print (see the end of the article), but most of the world believes
the Web has instant answers and wants to click and move on.
Vital records in England (and Wales is part of the same system) are the responsibility
of the ONS. This is the Office for National Statistics. Here are some other
terms you may come across when reading or chatting about birth, marriage and
death certificates: Somerset House, St. Catherine's House, GRO, Family Records
Centre, Southport (or perhaps Smedley Hydro).
Somerset House is where these records used to be located, quite a long time
ago now. If you see the term, you are either reading an old book, talking to
an old-timer, or watching a rerun of an Agatha Christie mystery on TV. In 1973,
the records were moved to St. Catherine's House. It is a short walk in London
from Somerset House, and may have seemed big enough at the time, but the burgeoning
genealogical scene quickly rendered it inadequate. In 1997, cooperating with
the Public Record Office, the ONS moved some of its services into the Family
Records Centre in the London district of Islington. Here they have all the indexes
and numerous other research helps, as well as a busy order counter. The records
themselves are stored at Southport, twenty-two miles from Liverpool, in a large,
old building called Smedley Hydro. GRO stands for General Register Office. It
is now incorporated into the ONS, but was first established as an independent
government department in 1837.
With respect to the records themselves, a lot a vague questions arrive at the
ONS. Like this--My great-great-grandmother A-- H-- was born in 1848 or 1849,
probably in county Leeds, she had three sisters (one who might have been Emily),
she married A-- M-- in about 1880. Can you help me?
What can the staff assigned to handling e-mail do in response? Only so much.
They are not trained as genealogists. They have accumulated quite a bit of know-how
and they have reference books to hand, but basically, staff can advise only
on what the ONS holds and what information it requires to issue a certificate.
Suggestions for where else to direct questions (e.g. for pre-1837 records) are
given, such as the Society of Genealogists and the Federation of Family History
Societies or local record offices. Some letters are referred to other, more
appropriate, departments like Adoptions or Overseas. No one can tell you if
a record is the correct one, or whether an index entry is a good bet. Only your
research, with cross checks in other records, can do that.
Returning now to the question above concerning the birth of A-- H--. The information
needs to be more specific. Leeds is not actually a county, it is a city in the
West Riding of Yorkshire, which was growing rapidly in the 1800s. Information
about a husband is not relevant in a search for a birth record. To really be
sure the right event can be selected, applications must include the date and
place as exactly as possible, and the full names of the father and mother; another
checking point such as the father's occupation is also helpful.
If circumstances dictate that you must work from vague information then read
the indexes yourself and collect a list of possible entries, or hire an agent
to do so. Then, based on your knowledge and instincts, select the best bets
and place the order including the reference code.
The ONS is aware of places in the UK where copies of its indexes can be found,
but does not know this for places in other countries. Direct that question to
the nearest Family History Center (in the white pages of the telephone directory
under The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints) or to the nearest
genealogical society.
To find out what is on certificates see the sources at the end. As for understanding
discrepancies, use common sense to assess human error, and read the methodology
books. You will come up with reasons to do with handwriting, or people using
misleading information. In addition, some people moved between a birth and registering
it; place names in the indexes are district names and therefore may not be recognized;
until 1875 there was quite a stiff fee for late registration, which led some
parents to lie about the birth date. Simple and concisely put details on these
and similar pitfalls, and on civil registration in general, can be found at
about.com.
I have drifted back to telling you to read more about the subject. There really
is no substitute. Not only will your understanding, ability, and measure of
success grow as you find out more, the staff at ONS will be grateful for the
clear and direct inquiries.
Information Online
"Births,
Marriages and Deaths in England and Wales Since 1837, Part One," by Sherry
Irvine, CGRS, FSA (Scot)
(Ancestry Daily News, 22 February 2001)
"Births,
Marriages and Deaths in England and Wales Since 1837, Part Two: Access,"
by Sherry Irvine, CGRS, FSA (Scot)
(Ancestry Daily News, 21 March 2001)
National Statistics:
The Official UK Statistics Site
GENUKI: Civil Registration in England
CivilRegistration
FamilySearch
(Select England, then Birth, Marriage or Death after 1837)
Civil
Registration in England and Wales: A Guide to Birth, Marriage, and Death Records
(About.com)
Books
Irvine, Sherry. Your
English Ancestry: A Guide for North Americans.
Ancestry, 2nd ed., 1998.
Milner, Paul and Linda Jonas.
A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your English Ancestors. Betterway,
2000.
Sherry Irvine, CGRS, FSA (Scot) has been researching her British ancestry
for thirty years. She founded Interlink Bookshop and Genealogical Services (www.interlinkbookshop.com)
in 1988; she currently lectures in Canada and the United States and is vice
president of the Association of Professional Genealogists. You can e- mail Sherry
with suggestions for future British genealogy articles at mailto:sherryirvine55@myfamily.com.
She will not be able to send personal replies, but will feature some questions
in upcoming issues of the Ancestry Daily News. Sherry also regrets that
she is unable to assist with personal research. Sherry is also the author of:
Your Scottish
Ancestry: A Guide for North Americans and Your
English Ancestry: A Guide for North Americans
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