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The GRO

How to do genealogy research - tips from members who have been there, done that ...
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meekhcs
Posts: 468
Joined: 02 Jun 2020, 18:19
Location: Lincolnshire, but Hampshire born and bred!

The GRO

Post by meekhcs »

The GRO is generally the cheapest place to purchase BMD certificates.

Since they have added a Search facility for Births I find it a very useful tool to find the children of parents who were born and died between census records, by checking the Mother's maiden name.

It is also useful for tracking down those problem children who do not seem to appear in the Birth records on Ancestry etc. Very often this is because they are born out of wedlock and appear under their Mothers' surnames, but assume her husband's surname when she marries.

Sometimes if the marriage falls in the same year or close to the birth the Husband may in fact be the Father and may still appear on the child's birth certificate.

If not another method a Mother may employ is to give the child the Father's surname as a middle name, indicating that nhe was the Father..

The GRO search is free.

Members please feel free to add to these posts if I have missed anything or indeed add tips of your own
Sally
Mick Loney
Posts: 371
Joined: 15 Jun 2020, 07:27

Re: The GRO

Post by Mick Loney »

meekhcs wrote: 17 Apr 2021, 18:04 The GRO is generally the cheapest place to purchase BMD certificates.

Since they have added a Search facility for Births I find it a very useful tool to find the children of parents who were born and died between census records, by checking the Mother's maiden name.
Treat this with care, as there may be another local couple with same surname combination. Especially so when brothers marry sisters around the same time and in same area. :D
meekhcs
Posts: 468
Joined: 02 Jun 2020, 18:19
Location: Lincolnshire, but Hampshire born and bred!

Re: The GRO

Post by meekhcs »

Mick Loney wrote
Treat this with care, as there may be another local couple with same surname combination. Especially so when brothers marry sisters around the same time and in same area. :D
Thank you, I had forgotten that point, even though I have several instances in my own Tree.

If you are lucky, and find a baptism or burial record for a child where you cannot decide who the parents are because of this situation, then the records may be of help.

Sometimes, if all else fails then a birth rec. will be required.
Sally
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