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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: andycadman on Thursday 06 October 11 20:11 BST (UK)
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A friend just starting to research his family history has just discovered that his mother's name is not on his 1985 birth certificate. He has asked me why. I have not come across this before, does anyone have any ideas? Father's name there but no mother. Why?
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I have no real idea ... but could he be adopted ??
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Yes but, this is I believe the original birth certificate.
I have come across adoptions before but I have never seen a missing mother's name before.
Just can't think why - his other siblings have both parents names on the birth certificate.
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I've never heard of one like that before. I wonder how it is indexed in the GRO index if there is no mother noted. In the index is the mother's surname column just blank?
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Just looked on the GRO and mother's maiden surname is given as the father's surname. Strange?
Have checked siblings on GRO and mothers correct maiden name is given. Stranger?
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Weird ??? How could it be indexed under information that is not on the certificate? And were the parents married when he was born?
The only thing I can think of is that you do not have a copy of the final certificate - maybe it was amended with additional information after it was registered.
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It's just so strange!??
Parents were married at the time of the three births. Mothers maiden name there for the other two siblings but not for him.
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Was he first or third child ?
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Surrogate mother perhaps?
Regards
Malky
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He was in the middle, all born when the parents were married.
The other two have both parents on their birth certificate, his just has his father on.
Why?
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when I had my first child I was not married and in the hospital the father gave his name on the birth certificate, though I found out later that my son has two certificates, both under the same number, one in my maiden name and one in his fathers name. Ive never seen either of them because I have the original, with both parents on it. Maybe he has another certificate in his mothers maiden name with her on it, on the same page number.
mm
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Marymog, your son will only have one original certificate but it is Indexed under each surname of parents, and each entry will have the same reference for the certificate.
As to why a birth is only registered under the father's surname, I can only think that there is an error in the Indexing. I would suggest that your friend contacts the Register Office involved and asks for an explanation.
Regards,
Colin
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Who registered the birth?
Maybe he/she didn't know the mother's name!
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Marymog, your son will only have one original certificate but it is Indexed under each surname of parents, and each entry will have the same reference for the certificate.
Thanks Colin, I often wondered just why they put it there twice, listing him under two surnames.
mm
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I assume the father registered the birth. I will have to ask.
All three siblings know both parents names.
Both parents names appear on two siblings birth certificates but on the third is just the father's name and he would like to know why. Similarly on the GRO index there is the mothers maiden name for both parents for two, but on the other mothers maiden name gives the father surname.
How can this happen when the mother's name is clearly known? I would have thought it would be impossible to register the birth without the mother's maiden name when it is clearly known.
I just do not know how to advise him. Would the register office be able to give an answer? For him to ask direct questions would be problamatic.
Thank you for all your comments so far.
Andy
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I just do not know how to advise him. Would the register office be able to give an answer? For him to ask direct questions would be problamatic.
It might just be an error in the index, which hopefully the register office would be able to confirm for you. I think I might be tempted to purchase a second copy of the certificate, to see what they actually have recorded for that as opposed to just the index.
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The fact that there is an entry for MMN means that the mother's name has been recorded, it will not be from the father's name. As julia_pse says, it's more likely to be a mistake in the Indexing.
Colin
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Is the birth cert the one that was issed at the time of his birth ie within the 42 day registration period or another copy purchased at a later date?
If it an an original from the time of his birth, I would suggest contacting the local registrar to see if a correction has been subsequently made. The changes are recorded and dated.
If it is a much later 'copy', I would suggest that if it was obtained from the local register office it has been re-written incorrectly, if it is from the General Register Office, the copy they have on file is wrong ie the local registrar submitted an incorrect quarterly return.
If the GRO birth index shows the correct surname and the mothers maiden name, then it would seem to me that the GRO has a correct copy with all names entered for them to have compiled the index.
Dawn
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Just to add, I've seen a couple of birth certs for foundlings. If you look at their entries in the GRO birth index the space for the mothers name is blank or filled with ---
Dawn
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Many thanks for all you responses.
The only solution is to contact the appropriate register office, from whom I have just got this response:
As you suspect, it is unusual for a full birth certificate not to show the natural mother's details. However it would be necessary for the gentleman in question to contact this office himself to discuss this matter.
For this enquiry, it would be easier for him to telephone or call into the Register Office
I will pass this information on to him and see where things go . . . . . . . .
Will it open up a "can of worms" or will there be a simple explanation?
Andy
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Perhaps a phone call to the local Register Office where your friend's birth was registered may shed some light on this matter.
When my late mother needed her birth certificate for the first time (aged 62), her cousin went to the relevant Register Office for her & the Registrar not only provided the certificate but very kindly photocopied the entry in the Register which contained a notation with some personal information.
Mum's cousin knew my mother had been brought up by her aunt after my grandmother died just after giving birth & mum's father didn't wish to be "saddled with a baby" so Mum would never have found her birth cert if her cousin been in on the "big secret". The cousin explained this to the Registrar which is why they were so helpful. It was a huge shock to my poor mother!!!
I'm sure the local Superintendant Registrar would check the entry for your friend to see if any more info is contained there.
Regards,
Shirley
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Just shows that you have to be prepared for the unexpected and every eventuality when you research your family history.
Andy
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I hadn't started doing the family tree when my mother discovered this - my dad was just coming up to pension age & the government needed Mum's birth cert!!
If she hadn't asked her cousin to get it for her (we live a different county), Mum would have been asking for it in the wrong surname & the wrong parents!
Nothing can ever be as big a shock as that was for many reasons but it taught me to be wary of things that family members tell me because I know how huge family secrets can be.
Regards
Shirley
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The other thing I would suggest, other than contacting the local RO, is to search the indexes later for an amended entry, if there was an error originally. An amended entry will have different numbering for the page number.
Darren
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Just FYI...
I am about to have my son's mother removed from his birth certificate.
While in a Family Court case, she has relinquished all parental rights, which gives my and my son the right to remove her from the birth certificate, which we are choosing to do.
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I was born in UK 1974 but my mother's name i s not on my birth cert my siblings have her name on there certs, am i adopted??
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Might you have a short birth cert?
https://www.gov.uk/register-birth/birth-certificates
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Might you have a short birth cert?
https://www.gov.uk/register-birth/birth-certificates
oH thanx for that maybe i have the sort version then.
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Hi NicDaw
Welcome to Rootschat ;D
A shorth form birth cert only has the child's name, date of birth and town or county of birth.
The usual bigger sized cert has the full details.
If the short form cert does not match up with an entry in the GRO birth index, this can infer an adoption has taken place but will require further research. Some entries are known to be missing or badly transcribed.
Dawn
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Hi NicDaw
Welcome to Rootschat ;D
A shorth form birth cert only has the child's name, date of birth and town or county of birth.
The usual bigger sized cert has the full details.
If the short form cert does not match up with an entry in the GRO birth index, this can infer an adoption has taken place but will require further research. Some entries are known to be missing or badly transcribed.
Dawn
Thanx for the info, I live in Hong Kong now , another thing si i dont get on with my parents that much so i wont researching it anymore but thanx.