Help me read this, please

[monxton]

I want to order the birth certificate for Harriet Rich from this index page: http://www.jordan-maynard.org/Images/1840B1-R-0608.tif

What's your best guess as to the reference I should order?

The FREEBMD indexer listed it as

Rich Harriet Westminster 1[2_]90

[kazrbutler]

I don't think the first digit of the three figure number is a 1. When you blow the page up, all the 1s are distinctly straight, whatever their angle - whereas that digit has a definate curve. That being said, it might still not be a 2. It has similarities to some of the 3s on the page, which seem to have very indistinct upper halves. Could even be a number 5

I am no expert, so don't take my word for it, but I think a 3 is possibly the most likely. Not an easy one to decipher at all

Karen

[Gambrill]

I've just experienced a similar problem with reading the District number from the on-line image I viewed at the 1837Online website.

Two suggestions:
1. Go to the FreeBMB initial Search screen, and only complete the fields for a Birth/Marriage/Death, the District Number, and the Page Number. The results page will then let you scroll to the year/month of the birth, and you can see if it looks like your District. Then repeat the process for your second District option. Some detective analysis may help you narrow it down. As FreeBMD is not complete you have to use some judgement (It clearly helped in my case).
2. If you viewed the image through 1837Online, then e-mail them with your problem of reading the image you paid to view. In my case they had someone check the original, and gave my an answer within 48hrs ...it matched my detective method!

Good luck
John

[Pam Downes]

If you're going to order direct from the GRO then I would forget about quoting any refs and just order by the quarter year and registration district. OK, it will cost you £11.50 as opposed to £7 if ordered online, but if you give a wrong ref they'll charge you four quid for looking and you won't get a certificate. So then you have to re-apply, quoting another 'number guess'.
Winchester Record Office have the GRO Index so you could perhaps see a different version of the page which might be slightly clearer (though if it's typed forget it).
http://www.hants.gov.uk/record-office/

Pam Downes

[monxton]

Go to the FreeBMB initial Search screen, and only complete the fields for a Birth/Marriage/Death, the District Number, and the Page Number. The results page will then let you scroll to the year/month of the birth, and you can see if it looks like your District. Then repeat the process for your second District option. Some detective analysis may help you narrow it down. As FreeBMD is not complete you have to use some judgement.

Thanks, that was a good tip. Turns out that 1/190 are all St Pancras, 1/290 are Marylebone, but 1/390 are Westminster.

[monxton]

I would forget about quoting any refs and just order by the quarter year and registration district.

Sensible advice, but I am a cheapskate and it rankles.

I'm very impressed that you bothered to find out where I live.

[Pam Downes]

Sensible advice, but I am a cheapskate and it rankles.

Agreed. But it's worse when they charge you £4 for them to look and tell you it's the wrong details when it's their own records that are stopping you from quoting the correct ref.
The reason I said don't bother if an alternative copy is typed is because the typist could just have guessed the number and got it wrong.

I'm very impressed that you bothered to find out where I live.

Just helps me to (try to) give a better answer. If people live overseas I always try to find if they have an LDS FHC local to them. If they haven't it's no good me telling them to go there.
Pam Downes

[busyglen]

A week ago I found a death that I was looking for on 1837online, but it was difficult to see the page number. I guessed at 250 but marked on the checking points that it could be 220. In fact it was 220 and they sent me the correct cert. I didn't have to pay more, so....is it possible to put your guess in and put an alternative in the checking list?

Glenys