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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Beppy on Saturday 08 March 08 05:27 GMT (UK)
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I've managed to not order any English certificates for many years but now think it is time, there is no alternative. I've noticed it is not possible to get transcriptions of English certificates at a cheaper price. Which web site is the best and cheapest on which to order just now?
OR can I subscribe to a database? I have a subscription to Ancestry but need parents names etc.
Thanks
Beppy in sunny Sydney
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You get certificates direct from the General Register Office (GRO) £7. Don't pay any more anywhere else.
http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/
some areas have their on on-line sites, for example Cheshire, Lancashire (go to UKBMD for more information). These will give you different and local reference numbers to order certs from, but they are still £7.
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For the GRO ordering when you have the index reference number
Register/sign in
Tick yes for the question - 'Is the General Register Office Index known?'
Complete delivery details page
Particulars page, complete only the sections with a red star by them.
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If you need a marriage certificate, you may find that the local County Records Office will provide you with a photocopy of the register for less than £1. You will probably need to know in which church the marriage was conducted.
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Geoff,
That's an amazing piece of info . Do you know if you have to apply in person over the counter and take the photocopy to save them postage or can one apply via the net and use a credit card?
Of course I'll bet my lot lived in areas not covered by such kind CROs.
charlotte
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Do you know if you have to apply in person over the counter and take the photocopy to save them postage or can one apply via the net and use a credit card?
Of course I'll bet my lot lived in areas not covered by such kind CROs.
I think this must depend very much on each individual CRO. And as Geoff says, you would need to know the exact name of the church involved and the date of the marriage - the GRO Reference would be of no use at all.
As an example here is what is available at Durham Record Office http://www.rootschat.com/links/02wt/
Jennifer
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For pre 1837 some libraries will send photocopies of marriage/birth entries. Charges depend on the library.
I think Birmingham charged £3, Surrey charged something like £4 for up to 3 entries, and some charge £0! And that £0 includes postage to Australia! Yes, you DO need to know the names, date and church, however with one of my Birmingham ones I just had name and date and the correct entry was found for me. (I've had great service from the libraries).
For post 1837 I use the GRO - £7 includes postage to Australia (! ;D) so not a bad deal. Costs more to buy Aus certs! If you know you have the correct b,d or m, you never regret that £7 investment!
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For post 1837 you have to be very careful some counties, my local one included charge up to £11 for certificates, I just simply use GRO, same price every county and cheaper than some!
Kerry
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Thanks for starting this thread Beppy and for all the great advice. I too am getting ready to order some for the first time, when I get back to my martin line, and this information is wonderful for me.
Kath
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I usually go to my local records office for a marriage certificate which I can photocopy for 20p.
I didn't realise that the County Records Office would do that for you.
Thats a very usefull bit of information.
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Thank you all so very much for the wonderful information and advice. Here in NSW Australia years ago a service was available for researchers to pay a price to look at the original records for a period of time. It was just amazing. Wish it was still available.
So it's the GRO. Thanks
Beppy
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I usually go to my local records office for a marriage certificate which I can photocopy for 20p.
I didn't realise that the County Records Office would do that for you.
Thats a very usefull bit of information.
This has my interest, but being in Australia, it's a bit far away. Does anyone know if the above cost would apply to a marriage in 1851 ?
Also I have a reference from FreeBMD as Saddleworth v23 p692, and on Lancashire BMD it is Saddleworth, St. Chad, Oldham CE243/3/2.
Never having ordered any certificates before, I end up wondering WHICH records office would have the info. Is the "local records office" that you mention, the one shown on the Lancashire BMD site as Oldham Register Office.
Any hints on getting the marriage info (parents etc) the cheapest way, would be great.
Thanks
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Hi
Never having ordered any certificates before, I end up wondering WHICH records office would have the info. Is the "local records office" that you mention, the one shown on the Lancashire BMD site as Oldham Register Office
You have to be careful not to confuse Register Office with Records Office.
In most cases , as well as from the General Register Office (GRO) you can get copies of Birth, Marriage & Death certificates from the Local Register Office where the event was registered. Whilst many local offices charge the same amount 7GDP that the GRO charges, some charge more and some don't have credit card facilities.
Many church records have been deposited in Records Offices so if you can identify the church a marriage took place in you can sometimes obtain a copy of the church record of the marriage cheaper but you have to find where the church records are held and whether the particular records office provides the service. and how much they charge.
The Oldham Register Office wouldn't have the church records for Saddleworth, St Chads. Hopefully someone with local knowledge will be able to suggest where they might be
Andy
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Chorlton,
If you're in Australia, it's very easy to order via the GRO (you'll need the volume and page numbers). You can order online on their website and pay with your credit card. It's very simple and secure and hassle free.
www.gro.gov.uk
Yes, the GRO reference numbers and the ref numbers on Lancashire BMD are different, but the certificate will have the same information.
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The Oldham Register Office wouldn't have the church records for Saddleworth, St Chads. Hopefully someone with local knowledge will be able to suggest where they might be
Andy
Thanks Andy, that does help me understand a bit more.
I may do a separate post asking if someone knows which "records office" would hold marriage certificates for Saddleworth, St Chads.
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Thanks for that info Ruskie.
As funds are a bit tight, I am going with the thread title; "Cheapest English certificates?", and seeing how I get on ;)
If all else fails, then I suppose A$18 may have to be spent. :(
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If you go back to FREE BMD and click on Saddleworth, where it says find more about this district here, it will eventually lead you to where you can obtain the certificate.
Kooky
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Hi
I think the Saddleworth, St Chads church records are at Manchester according to the link below.
http://www.manchester.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?categoryID=448&documentID=464
Andy
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when I get back to my martin line, and this information is wonderful for me.
Kath
Just to mention, Kath, that I have Martins I can't trace. I'm open to their having come from Ireland, as they were Roman Catholic. When you get to them seriously, I'd like to check with you, just in case!!!
MarieC
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If all else fails, then I suppose A$18 may have to be spent. :(
Hi,
The exchange rate is pretty good at the very moment for us.
It's currently only around $15.25 for each cert . I have just been billed on my card for two certs that I ordered last week.
For the two certs my credit card company have converted 14 GBP to Au $30.51
I have generally paid a lot more than that over all the previous times/years due to the exchange rates, 3 to 1 at it's very worst ( $21) ... So for another money saving tip; keep an eye on the exchange rates each day if you are keen to save a few dollars when ordering anything from Britain. It's good at the moment-The best I've seen it in years.
Regarding cheapest certs, I think you may find that you may have have two choices - price up the local reg, or order from the GRO.
To get a photocopy of a marriage entry (or baptism) from the church registers from the local record office/county archives means you need to know what church so that they can go straight to it- which is cheap just a pound plus in most cases - If you have no idea of the parish/church you will need to pay one of their researchers to look through all the registers in countless churches/parishes in the area which will be a lot more than 7 GBP. If I knew of a cheaper way I would have done it myself -The very cheapest way that I know of would be looking at the church records yourself in the county archives /record office which takes time , which I have done and do when I go back home for holidays
( also refer to andycand's reply to you on record offices as I think he has explained it much better than I have)
Hope that is of some help
Kind regards :)
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This thread gave me the courage to finally order my 1st English certs. Was not finding any new information for years now on one of my mysteries so ordered a marriage and a death on-line at the GRO site last nite.
Worked perfectly, got a receipt at the end and by email; the debit card transaction for exactly the amount I expected showing on-line w/ my bank this morning! US$14.11 each
So many thanks!!! After thinking about it for a long while finally made it over a daunting hurdle in this addiction !!
Can't wait until they arrive!!!!
;D ;D
lissa
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Well here's hoping that you get good information from them. ;D ;D You'll be checking the post every day until they get there ;)
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Silvery, Yes I certainly will!!! Thanks again for your help!!!
:-*
lissa
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Hi
St Chad Saddleworth parish registers are also at Oldham Local Studies and Archives, Union St Oldham.
http://www.oldham.gov.uk/community/local_studies.htm
Click on parish registers on the right hand side of the page and you will get a list of all the parish registers and dates of coverage of what is available on film at the archives.
Chorlton - if you send me a pm with the details of the marriage you are looking for, i can get you the info when i go next week.
Regards
Sal