Ordering a certificate - first time

[IreneH]

I know that this is going to be a dumb question but, can someone tell me what an IRC is please? On the application form is that overseas application should inclose two IRCs???

And I know that this is a equally dumb question, it also says payment by bankers draft payable to: ??????. There is a little box beside that with in this case, Tameside M.B.C. for whatever the amount is.

I take it that 'Tameside M. B.C.' is who/what the bank draft is made out to.

Irene

[Annie]

Hi Irene
IRC is a International Reply Coupon and you should be able to get them at any post office.
Yes I would assume that Tameside M B C would be who you make the banker's draft out to

[IreneH]

Thanks Annie,

Never heard of a IRC before - learn something new everyday.:D

I figured I had the second bit right but wasn't sure - thought I better check. Better than ending up with one of these :o.

Irene

[MarkJ]

I know that this is going to be a dumb question but, can someone tell me what an IRC is please? On the application form is that overseas application should inclose two IRCs???

And I know that this is a equally dumb question, it also says payment by bankers draft payable to: ??????. There is a little box beside that with in this case, Tameside M.B.C. for whatever the amount is.

I take it that 'Tameside M. B.C.' is who/what the bank draft is made out to.

Irene

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council is what Tameside MBC is. I presume your request is for a certificate for someone from the Greater Manchester area?
As Annie mentioned, the IRC is an International Reply Coupon. Available from the post offices in most countries. That will be to cover the postage costs.

Mark

[IreneH]

Thanks Mark,

Yes! great GGanddad! He was married Mottram in Longdendale, St Micheal.

Irene

[Colin Moretti]

Hello Irene

If you have the GRO reference for the marriage (probably even without) and can pay by credit card you may find it cheaper to go to the GRO site:
http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/
There's no extra postage charge for overseas orders and no bank charges - I assume that your bank will charge for the draft.

Colin

[IreneH]

Hi Mark, Colin and Annie,

I had a play with the online order thingy yesterday and find that I can't get past the first page because I need a GRO index referance. Anything before a certain date it seem must have it.

Sooooooo had do I find that? I played about on the GRO site but could't work out how to find the referance |help|

Sorry to be so thick.

Irene

[Annie]

If you have found the entry you need on a site like freebmd or ancestry
it should give you the following reference:
Marriages Mar 1875
LOVETT William Hay 11b 198
in this example
Mar is Jan-Feb-Mar quarter
Hay is registration district
11b is volume
198 is page

these are the bits you need for ordering on line

[IreneH]

Thank you one and all.

All sorted!

Can see my bank balance vanishing as I type. Its going to cost me $30NZ approx per cert.!:eek: but cheaper than a bank draft:)

Irene

P.S.
Actually thats not a lot dear than what we pay here for cert. $26 a pop!

[caliope]

How can people in New Zealand afford to research their families at that rate!!

I thought it was expensive here in Canada at $17.00 a pop!


Liz

[Colin Moretti]

Irene

Why so much? It should cost 7GBP or 10GBP at most, I think. 30 NZD = 11GBP, according to my calculations. This from the GRO site:

Overseas

GRO Reference Supplied

Full Certificate of birth marriage and death (standard service): £7.00 each
Full Certificate of birth marriage and death (priority service): £23.00 each
Standard service certificates will be despatched within 4 days (excluding weekends and bank holidays). Priority service certificates will be despatched on the next day (excluding weekends and bank holidays).

Where an incorrect GRO reference is supplied a search fee will be charged and the balance refunded to the card details provided. A search fee of £3.00 will apply.

GRO Reference Not Supplied

Full Certificate of birth marriage and death (standard service) £10.00 each

Colin

[Colin Moretti]

And the other thing to be aware of is that you should use the name as it appears in the index and you shouldn't put too much info in the application if you are sure that you have the correct reference. For a marriage the name of just one of the parties plus the GRO reference is sufficient. Particularly don't include things like age or fathers' names; if you are wrong they will charge you 3 GBP for the privilege of telling you so and we all know how the names by which people are know can change, not to mention ages!

Colin

[IreneH]

Sorry Colin didn't mean to giive you a heart attack:)

The $30NZ was just a rough calculation but close enough to give me an idea of the cost with added referances
My currency converter tells me that 1GBP = $2.7125NZD so 7GBP is going to be $19.020NZD. So unless my currency converter is lying to me John and Lettice are going to cost me $19NZ (I know these are the right people so no added extras this time)

If I add just one referance it would as you know, take it to 10GBP = $27.1752NZ. So my rough calculation wasn't far out.

The good thing about the NZ BDM is that if they don't find the cert you are looking for they will refund your cash or give you a credit and you just use that the next time.

I will grant you that maths and I are not good friends :D

Irene

[Colin Moretti]

Hello Irene

I was concerned because I know that there are a few websites (not part of the GRO) that will supply you with a certificate and charge you over and above the GRO fee for the privilege, even if you give them all the necessary information; in that case basically all they do is fill in the form for you.

Colin

[IreneH]

Nice to know you are lookng after my interests Colin.:) Not many people these days would bother. Thank you!

Irene