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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: madaboutbuns on Wednesday 05 September 07 17:25 BST (UK)
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Hiya all
I'm doing some family work for yet another friend :) and was wondering if any of you can offer me any suggestions to the following -
I have a couple who married in 1920, had children, and who for some reason in April 1973 went to their individual registration districts of birth and paid for a small birth certificate to be produced - the one which shows very little details - name, sex, place of birth, registration district and subdistrict.
Neither had a mortgate, will, property, passport or anything like that - any idea's at all as to why they may have done it would be much appreciated! Their family have no idea!
Christine
P.S. I have located the birth of the man and have ordered the full certificate from GRO - it's his name I am researching - the very unusual and rare name of Smith! ;D
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Pension ?
Altho they would surely have been over 65 by then ?
Perhaps some 'jobs-worth' walla caught up with them ?
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Ohh that is a good idea - I never thought of that!
Christine
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Perhaps a bank or insurance company needed proof of their ages.
Betty
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The man was born in 1915 so would have been 58, and the lady was born in 1916 so would have been 57.
So I guess for their pension is a possible?
Christine
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I have a couple who married in 1920, had children, and who for some reason in April 1973
ah, there you have it, I assumed that they would be in their 20's at marriage ;)
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er . . . if they married in 1920, I'm thinking they may have been born before 1915/16 . . . ???
Is it possible that there are 2 different couples here?
Mike.
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Silly silly me.... that is what happens when you are trying to keep an eye on the kids with their tea!
They married in 1937 - but were born in 1915 (man) 1916 (lady).
And it was 1973 they applied for their birth certificates!
Christine
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They would not pay as in 1968 the fees for Short birth certificates (then 9d.) were abolished.
Stan
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:-X
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On the man's birth certificates it says -
"The fee for this certificate is 15p".
But the woman's certificate it doesn't say that....
I'm puzzled!
Christine
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If they both applied, surely it must have been something like a joint life insurance policy or pension? Or had he by any chance been made redundant, or lost his job, and applied for benefit?
I found this list of possible uses for a birth certificate from an application form:
SOCIAL SECURITY (ADMINISTRATION) ACT
EDUCATION ACT
FACTORIES ACT
GOVERNMENT ANNUITIES
WAR OR NATIONAL SAVINGS CERTIFICATES
NATIONAL SAVINGS BANK
PREMIUM SAVINGS BONDS
SAVINGS CONTRACTS
Don't suppose it helps much . . . :-\
. . . maybe they'd just discovered genealogy ::)
Mike.
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I am totally puzzled by this!
There is a rumour in his family - apparently his mother wasn't his mother, but his sister was..... So I have ordered his birth certificate to hopefully clear things up - but maybe totally confuse things!
I will print off this discussion I think and show it to my friend!!!!!!
Someone please tell me why I offer to do friends family trees!!!!!!! I must be mad!!! ;D
Christine
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I am totally puzzled by this!
Someone please tell me why I offer to do friends family trees!!!!!!! I must be mad!!! ;D
Christine
Christine
If you ever find out and can you let me know - I do exactly the same thing!! :D
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There is a rumour in his family - apparently his mother wasn't his mother, but his sister was.....
One of my nightmares is uncovering some forgotten scandal in someone's family . . . and causing a massive family break-up . . . :o
Good luck :-\
Mike.
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A new short form of birth certificate was introduced on 15th December 1947, costing 6d. It showed only the name and surname, sex, date of birth and (where possible) place of birth. There were no particulars of parentage or adoption. There had been a mistaken idea that the short certificate carried with it the stigma of illegitimacy, but that had almost entirely disappeared, and it was now in extensive use. The Times reported in September 1955 that the National Council for the Unmarried Mother and her child had been able to help a number of illegitimate people of pensionable age, who had been reluctant to produce a birth certificate, by making them aware of the new short certificate. In 1955 almost as many short as full certificates were being issued, every year, by Somerset House and local registrars.
A report in The Times of 9th February 1968 stated that "some fees would be abolished including those for 'Short' birth certificates, which now cost 9d"
Stan
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This topic makes me wonder if an option is always given when registering a birth? Mum and I often laugh when I say "we must have been hard-up as I only have a short certificate". Yet my brother had a 'full' one. My sons were only given a short certificate, after their births and husband swears he was not given an option at the time. My granddaughter (who is not yet 5 years old!) only had a short certificate and my son said he was not given the option either and was not aware there was anything different to be had! It was only when they made a passport application for her that they were informed a full cert was necessary, otherwise they would never have known.
justmej
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Something as simple as passports perhaps.
My AP's both had to get passports when they were in their 60's and would have opted for the cheapest version!!!
Spring