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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Topic started by: kennett on Saturday 07 December 13 18:42 GMT (UK)

Title: Question about the registration index books
Post by: kennett on Saturday 07 December 13 18:42 GMT (UK)
I've looked up a probable relative using FreeBDM,  and I have looked at their scan of the page in the printed book which they have transcribed.  The scan is quite clear and I looked at both copies.

And after his name,  it has the initials  G.F.S.     Now did his family suddenly invent another 3 middle names,  or is this an acronym for something else ?

The line in the book says
CLUNEY Henry James G.F.S.  62  Lambeth  1d 240

and it is from the Jan-Mar quarter of 1881.
Title: Re: Question about the registration index books
Post by: barryd on Saturday 07 December 13 19:03 GMT (UK)
Henry James Cluney's death WAS registered with the G.F.S. added. Why we do not know. Registrars were not known for adding more than they were required to. If that were the case one of my in laws was awarded the VC during WW1. when he died should have be registered with VC which was not the case.
Title: Re: Question about the registration index books
Post by: kennett on Saturday 07 December 13 19:11 GMT (UK)
Henry James Cluney's death WAS registered with the G.F.S. added. Why we do not know. Registrars were not known for adding more than they were required to. If that were the case one of my in laws was awarded the VC during WW1. when he died should have be registered with VC which was not the case.

So is G.F.S.  the name of some award or decoration ?   Or like, he was a member of the Royal Society FRS,  or the College of Surgeons or the MCC ?   I tried googling to see if that was some obvious acronym that I didn't know,   I didn't come up with anything.   

Title: Re: Question about the registration index books
Post by: dawnsh on Saturday 07 December 13 23:56 GMT (UK)
You may have to purchase the death cert from the GRO unless another online record comes up with the answer.
Title: Re: Question about the registration index books
Post by: davidft on Sunday 08 December 13 00:13 GMT (UK)
He just calls himself Henry Cluney on his second marriage. Do you know when his first marriage was ?

(Same on the baptism of his daughter in 1853)

I see he was a tailor. The letters GFS don't go with that as far as I know
Title: Re: Question about the registration index books
Post by: stanmapstone on Sunday 08 December 13 09:09 GMT (UK)
The GRO Indexes are the name and surname as entered in column 2 of the death certificate, there should be nothing else entered in this column, such as decorations or qualifications, although titles will be e.g. Grosvenor Hugh Lupus (Duke Of Westminster) 74 Wimborne 5a 180, Dec 1899. The clerks making the indexes would copy exactly what is entered, and wouls assume that G.F.S. are his initials. As dawnsh suggests you could get a copy of the certificate, but this will just show what is in the index.

Stan
Title: Re: Question about the registration index books
Post by: stanmapstone on Sunday 08 December 13 09:49 GMT (UK)
The name and initials on the certificate are those given to the registrar by the informant, the registrar would have no way of knowing if they were correct, and would accept what he was  told. Also the name would be what he was known by at his death by the informant, and not nesessarily what is on his birth certificate.

Stan
Title: Re: Question about the registration index books
Post by: carol8353 on Sunday 08 December 13 10:13 GMT (UK)
If the cert were purchased,wouldn't it at least show what the initials G F S stood for?
Title: Re: Question about the registration index books
Post by: kennett on Sunday 08 December 13 10:21 GMT (UK)
So it would appear to be pointless to get this certificate -   this person is not a direct relative.   If it just says GFS on there.   

I don't even think the middle name James is kosher,  because the only place it appears is when he died.   I have dozens of certificates from that era,   where people who were born in the early decades of the nineteenth century died,   they were apparently embarrased by the fact that they had no middle names,  so they made one up.
Title: Re: Question about the registration index books
Post by: kennett on Sunday 08 December 13 10:23 GMT (UK)
The GRO Indexes are the name and surname as entered in column 2 of the death certificate, there should be nothing else entered in this column,..

I have at least one other relative,  who had a code there which indicated he was a military pensioner,  which was corroborated from several other sources.
Title: Re: Question about the registration index books
Post by: stanmapstone on Sunday 08 December 13 11:52 GMT (UK)
The GRO Indexes are the name and surname as entered in column 2 of the death certificate, there should be nothing else entered in this column,..

I have at least one other relative,  who had a code there which indicated he was a military pensioner,  which was corroborated from several other sources.

I meant initials such as decorations or qualifications. If a correction had been made that could be in column 2, with a number, or a code as in your case.

Stan

Title: Re: Question about the registration index books
Post by: stanmapstone on Sunday 08 December 13 12:59 GMT (UK)
Thinking about it, as the name is indexed as CLUNEY Henry James G.F.S, it should have been written on the certificate as  Henry James G.F.S CLUNEY, and not as  Henry James CLUNEY  G.F.S.  The certificate will confirm which way it is written.

Stan
Title: Re: Question about the registration index books
Post by: kennett on Sunday 08 December 13 13:04 GMT (UK)
Good point, Stan,  that would certainly be a good reason for actually shelling out for the certificate.