When an index's page number has been amended

[maidofkent]

Hello all,

I'm about to order a birth certificate, which I've done many times in the past, but for the first time the page number on the index has been amended by hand. It happens regularly, I know, but the first time to me.

I order my certificates through the GRO - do I order with the original page number, or the amended number? Additionally, I can't be 100% sure what the amended number's suffix is - it looks like either a '5' or an 'S'.

Can anyone tell my why numbers get amended? And should I take a chance and decide whether I think it's a '5' or an 'S', or should I order and say I don't know the reference? I'm just concerned about doing the wrong thing and paying for a certificate and not being able to get it.

MoK

[Peter Goodey]

Don't tell us the details, we like it to be difficult.

"S" means supplementary indicating that there has been some sort of amendment to the registration. If you look at the other index page (the one pointed to by the amendment), you should see your person listed. It shouldn't matter which one you quote.

[maidofkent]

Thank you Peter,

I didn't want to put too much on because this concerns a living person. It's probably ok to say that the person was adopted, but the index entry I was looking at was for his original birth entry.

I'll look at the amended page - it never occurred to me! Thanks again.

MoK

[Peter Goodey]

In that case you'll probably find that the amendment consisted of the addition of the word "Adopted" together with the signature of the Superintendent Registrar.

[maidofkent]

Am I going mad?

Sorry Peter, can you tell me how I find the page number that's listed in the index? I'm using freebmd to see the images, but I wouldn't know where the pages are, or even what they refer to.

MoK

[Peter Goodey]

I'm not sure that FreeBMD lets you work quite that way. Is your person not indexed again for the 'other' page.

Otherwise, using "View Images" on the FreeBMD front page, you have to drill down through Births, Year, Quarter, Initial Letter of Surname and then page number (the last number shown in the drop down list after a "-" is the page number) .

[maidofkent]

Hi Peter,

Yes, I've got my information doing that. What do you mean by 'is he indexed again for the other page'? I don't know how to find the page number. For instance, the page number given is 4279. This is crossed out and substituted as 3464/5 (or S). But what do 4279 and 3464 mean? Where are these pages?

MoK

[Peter Goodey]

But what do 4279 and 3464 mean?

They're the page numbers of the original paper index. This is what you see when you call up the image (by clicking the spectacles icon in FreeBMD). The page number is at the bottom of the page usually. The second paragraph of my message #6 was intended to explain how to get to a particular page number. Perhaps it wasn't very successful.

[maidofkent]

Sorry, but perhaps I'm not making my question clear.

The page number of the index image bears no relation to the page numbers I'm referring to in my previous question. The page number of the image is 1160.

On that page is the entry I'm looking at, which states that the volume and page of the entry I'm seeking is '9c 4279', crossed out and amended to '9c 3464/S'.

All these page numbers are quite confusing. You indicated that I could find that amended page number. But where? I don't know what it refers to.

MoK

[Mutley]

There seems to be something odd here. I am not as knowledgeable as Peter by any means. So trying to check in FreeBMD with my limited knowledge,
I entered Type as Birth, my own names, and 1911 to 1983 for birth dates.
I found myself and my volume and page numbers.
I tried again removing my names, just entering Birth, 1911 to 1983 and the Volume and Page numbers and I was still there.

I tried to do the same for yours,
Birth, 1911 to 1983 and 9c/4279 = nothing
Birth, 1911 to 1983 and 9c/3464 = nothing
Birth, 1911 to 1983 and 9c/3464/S = nothing
In each instance it says, "sorry, we found no matches"

Though you cannot give us a name could you give us the year and county and I can try again?