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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => London and Middlesex => Topic started by: fantasyfudge on Saturday 14 June 14 15:57 BST (UK)
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Hi all.
Ive recently found out that my Nan had a baby that was still born in mid to late 1930s, can anyone tell me what would have happened to the baby?
Would he have been registered, buried, have a death certificate ect?
My Mum didn't really know much about it as she was born around 10 years later and my Nan had this baby with her first Husband who was killed in the war in 1943, my Nan then went on to marry his brother and they had my Mum and my Aunt and it was never really spoken about much by my Nan or Granddad.
Thanks
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If the child was stillborn, he/she would have been entered on the Stillborn Register. This Register is not available to the public, tho certain relatives are allowed access. I don't know all the deatils - no doubt someone else will fill them in for you
If the child lived even for a few minutes, he/she would have both a birth and death certificate just like any other child and you would be able to apply for a certificate in the normal way. It might be worth doing a search on FreeBMD just in case the child did actually have a brief live rather than was stillborn
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Hi
Civil registration of stillbirths began in 1927, if the child was stillborn before that date there will be no official record.
The GRO has strict guidelines as to who can apply for a copy of a stillbirth certificate (the gro.gov website used to have a page but it's gone now)
Only the parent of a stillborn child can apply or if the parents are deceased, a sibling can apply.
You need to contact the GRO directly
http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/contact_us.asp
Dawn
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Speaking from experience!
I contacted GRO (Think I phoned them), and they sent me some forms to fill in. These are NOT available online!
Filled in the forms, sent with a covering letter, and a cheque for £9.25.
I received my mother's twin's Still-Birth Certificate shortly afterwards.
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To add it is worth looking in the parish register to see if the child was baptised, many were and have seen them recorded in name or not named as baptism of stillbirth, born dead, abortive birth or as a non-viable child.
Although the still births register was not started until 1927 and so many people will say there is no record of them, for many there are in baptisms/burials in PRs and so the "a still-born infant could not be buried in consecrated ground" is untrue, they were.
My great grandfather and his first wife had 5 children, only one survived to adulthood the others were all still births or non viable living just a couple of hours, all were baptised giving them a name and buried.
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Please let's get the facts straight about stillbirths.
First any person in the world may apply to the Registrar General for a copy of any stillbirth recorded in the stillbirth register.
It is then up to her (at present, him previously) to decide whether to provide a copy to the applicant.
The parents of any stillborn have an automatic right to a copy of the entry in the still birth register on payment of the appropriate fee.
The sibling(s) of any stillborn have an automatic right to a copy of the entry in the still birth register on payment of the appropriate fee if their parents are deceased.
Stillbirths in parish registers, a stillbirth will very rarely be entered in a register of baptisms though the occasional one is.
Stillbirths will often be registered in the register of burials.
Stillbirths will nearly always be entered in the grave or lair register.
Cheers
Guy
PS
It should perhaps be noted many, not all, stillbirths were recorded in parish registers of burials from as early as 1551 (or even earlier).
The civil still birth register though starting in 1927 has a number of omissions (the number which may be quite large has not been quantified.
Even as late as the 1960s some stillbirths were not registered in the civil stillbirth register.
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Thank you all for your replies.
I will get my Mum ( as his sister) to contact the Gro and see what she can find out.
Thanks again.
Karen xx
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Have you actually looked on http://www.freebmd.org.uk/ to see if his birth/death were registered,meaning that he actually lived for maybe even a few minutes.
If that were indeed the case then you can apply for either/both certs from the GRO for £9-25 each.
http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/
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Hi,
I have looked on there and on Ancestry but I'm not totally sure what year he was born and also the surname is Baker which is quite a common name.
But thank you. X
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You can narrow it down by putting in the mothers maiden name(after Sept 1911)
Try your mum's birth first (for a practice) and then go from there.
Send me a PM with the info if you like and I'll have a look for you.
Carol