TIME DELAY FOR REGISTERING A BIRTH

[ellandrew]

My nanna was born on 7th Jan 1901 however her birth wasn't registered until 4th January 1902, nearly 12 months later. I know this because I have a copy of her birth certificate.

I know her mother was estranged from her father in 1901, she was staying with her own mother with her older daughter as I discovered on the 1901 census.

I thought a birth had to be registered far sooner than that. Can anyone give me some sort of explanation as to the registration protocols for that era. Thanks

[Peter Goodey]

http://home.clara.net/dixons/Certificates/births.htm

See the paragraph on "Date of Registration", particularly the reference to one year.

Did the Superintendent Registrar sign?

[ellandrew]

Thanks for your reply. The certificate is signed by H Woodhouse Registrar in section 9.

The birth was registered 3 days before her 1st birthday. I've read the paragraph you mentioned on the back of the certificate but I don't really understand it. Was it not unusual for this time delay or was it quite common?

[apowell]

I have spent 6 months attempting to trace my Grandfathers birth certificate Arthur Powell born Dec 1916 in West Bromwich (father was a James Powell deceased prior 1935 and mother we think was Agnes maybe surname of Rastall?). unfortunatley all of my family members who could have helped are dead.

However I have managed to obtain his marriage cert' which confirms the year of birth as 1916. I have searched ancestry and West Midlands births and deaths web sites on numerous occasions to no avail. I am at a complete loss and out of ideas.

Can anyone 'HELP ME' before it drives me crazy.

Many thanks
Adrian.

[Geoffers]

I have spent 6 months attempting to trace my Grandfathers birth certificate Arthur Powell born Dec 1916 in West Bromwich (father was a James Powell deceased prior 1935 and mother we think was Agnes maybe surname of Rastall?). unfortunatley all of my family members who could have helped are dead.

Do you know:

1) If Arthur had any siblings

2) Could he have had two forenames and just used the Arthur?

How do you know he was born in West Browmich? Could he have been one of the two Arthur POWELLs registered there in March quarter 1916? Or perhaps the one registered in Sep 1917?

However I have managed to obtain his marriage cert' which confirms the year of birth as 1916.

I wouldn't say that it confirms his year of birth - marriage certificates can be inaccurate - perhaps better to say it indicates a year of birth. On the assumption that Arthur has now died, does his death certificate indicate his date of birth?

I have searched ancestry

Have you searched the full GRO index, or their version of the freebmd database?

Have you managed to locate a death for Arthur's dad?

[apowell]

My Grandfather had to my knowledge siblings called Agnes,Benjamin and Thomas but I can not check mothers maiden names against possible matches on ancestry web site as certaoin years give these details.

On the limited feedback from my uncles wife he was never known by any other christian name and only signed as Arthur Powell (but who knows).

Good point not 100% sure if he was born West Bromwich but again limited feedback says he was born lived and died (June 1984) in West Bromwich. His death certificate states his birth 16th December 1916(but that could have been what was thought over the years).

I have searched the full GRO index on SUBSCRIBED ancestry.com(I think that was the GRO?)

No luck tracing James death could be many possibilites however Arthurs marriage cert' states his father James deceased as of 1935?

I did check the West midlands Births marriages and deaths only found a Agnes Rastall marrying James Powell 1904 which matches certain names of his mother and father (long shot).

Anyway I can check if they had any children and the names?

Thanks for your reply,
Adrian

[Geoffers]

My Grandfather had to my knowledge siblings called Agnes,Benjamin and Thomas but I can not check mothers maiden names against possible matches on ancestry web site as certaoin years give these details.

It depends on when births were registered, the General Register Office (GRO) index of births began to include mother's maiden names from the Sept quarter 1911

I have searched the full GRO index on SUBSCRIBED ancestry.com(I think that was the GRO?)

I don't know what Ancestry has as I won't use their site.

only found a Agnes Rastall marrying James Powell 1904 which matches certain names of his mother and father (long shot).

So, do I take it that you know the father to be James POWELL and that you have some family information that he married a woman call Agnes, but you don't know her surname - this is just inferred from the above two entries having the same reference and being roughly in the right area?