Genealogy Chat

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I wish it wouldn't take out all the spacing and new paragraphs when I post a new message :o( I have two certificates I think are wrong - or perhaps I'm wrong :o) I got them both from the GRO. One has Mary Smith as the mother's maiden name, but he married Mary Piper two years before the birth in question and a subsequent birth has Piper as the maiden name. No idea who the first wife was yet. Another marriage cert has both Father and son's occupation as Cabinet Maker. I'm 99% sure that this is a transcription error as everything else ties up.. Correct me if I'm wrong, but there are two sets of civil registration registers, plus the Parish registers. So, I should be able to check the local registrar's copy at the correct registry office (or wherever they're held), and also the record at the church to see if they match the GRO record. Are these errors common or am I kidding myself? Alan

Yes, but don't forget that baptisms were recorded for a different reason and not by a registrar. They may well be erronious too for many different reasons. Any record is only as good as the information given at the time, what the recorder thinks he has heard, and whether or not the person giving the information is telling the truth. Jay

The GRO copy of the birth cert would be one made by the local registrar at the end of the Q in which the event was registered. The GRO copy of the marriage cert would be a copy made at the end of the Q by the registrar (if it was a civil marriage or a non-confirmist marriage where the registrar was present) or made at the end of the Q by the minister (for a church wedding). Mistakes do occur, but not all that often - though there were no particular checking procedures in place in Victorian times. What were you expecting rather than Cabinet maker?? Some people did ''posh-up'' their marriage entry........If the supposed ''cabinet maker'' did ANYTHING with wood he might end up a cabinet maker on the cert!! Merry

on my GG Grandparent marriage cert occ was down as carpenters for GGGrandfather and his father when in fact they where Undertaker assitants making coffins. and on all census down as Undertakers. Jeanette

For the birth cert with the ''wrong'' mum's maiden name.....you could contact the local registrars and ask them to check the original. They should do this for you - if you tell them the date of registration and the subdistrict this will help them to find the cert in their records and will also prove you have a copy! Can you be certain you have the correct cert? Merry

Birth Certificates: Are the address, father's name, occupation the same on both certificates? Who was the informant each time? If it was the mother, did she sign, or was there a cross? Is the surname common or unusual? Do both children appear together in the family on censuses? Do you have the marriage certificate? If not, order it as it is possible that Smith is Mary's maiden name and she was previously married. The more details that agree, the more likely it is that you have the correct one, but there's a mistake on it. Marriage Certificates: Try to obtain a copy of the original. It is unlikely, but possible that there is a transcription error between the two. Could bride and groom write? (This doesn't necessarily mean that they could read, of course!) What occupation did you expect to find? If it is a skilled occupation, but in an entirely different field (eg surgeon or master mariner) then you probably have the wrong certificate, but there is an amazing fluidity in the labour market and men might have many different occupations in their lives. So far as errors are concerned, I've seen innumerable errors and white lies in my family's certificates. Deaf or incompetent vicars can enter the wrong details entirely. Hopefully, you have information from other sources to enable you to form judgements on the certificates - and keep an open mind as each new scrap of detail comes to light. Good luck!

In both cases the names are fairly unusual and I have verified almost everything else. On the one hand we have a family who very rarely registered their children. Out of 11 children, I have two certificates. One is spot on, the other, my g-grandmother, has Smith as her mum's maiden name instead of Piper. It may be that the original was illegible so they put Smith, or I may be clutching at straws and the wronf certificate. The problem here is that I'm following in the footsteps of another researcher who guessed and made huge assumptions and documented all the errors on as many websites as they could. I really want/need as much proof as possible. The marriage one is for a very unusual name (Eveson) and everything fits perfectly except for them both being Cabinet Makers. They all lied all over the place. I've had one say his dad was an Engineer - the addresses tie up perfectly with the census where his dad says he's a Greengrocer. Then the fishmonger says he's a Cabinet Maker. As it happens, I've just figured this one out. he married an Anne Timlett in 1840 and I just found them in the 1841 Census, wife Anne, with a Timlett living with them. In Smithfield. Job, dealer in fish. Definitely him. Was his dad a cabinet maker - we'll see :o) Thanks for all your suggestions/help

Sorry, I'm no help. Just wanted to say hello. Long time no see Alan. How have you been? Rebs x

There is 2 mistakes on my own birth certificate. Born in Dec 1941 I was registered on the 1st of January 1942 but the registrar has written 1941 in 2 places, although the date stamp over a postage stamp states 1942. (Note no Bank Holiday in those days)