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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Andrew Tarr on Saturday 23 January 16 17:12 GMT (UK)

Title: Registration of twin births
Post by: Andrew Tarr on Saturday 23 January 16 17:12 GMT (UK)
I know that the time is usually recorded for multiple births, to prevent any later disputes about precedence, and I have at least two examples in my fairly modest tree.  I have one other example where the birth was single, as far as is known.  Does it follow that there was a stillbirth, and can that be traced in the records?
Title: Re: Registration of twin births
Post by: stanmapstone on Saturday 23 January 16 17:22 GMT (UK)
In the early years of Civil Registration some registrars put the time of birth for all births.  Stillbirths were not made registrable until the Births and Deaths Act 1926,

Stan
Title: Re: Registration of twin births
Post by: Beeonthebay on Saturday 23 January 16 17:26 GMT (UK)
I have more than a few sets of twins in my tree and sometimes on the baptism register it has been noted TWINS.
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My father is a twin and yes the time was noted on his birth certificate from 1925.
Title: Re: Registration of twin births
Post by: Andrew Tarr on Saturday 23 January 16 17:32 GMT (UK)
In the early years of Civil Registration some registrars put the time of birth for all births.  Stillbirths were not made registrable until the Births and Deaths Act 1926.
Thanks, Stan, I suspected something like you suggest.  The 'phantom' twin registration I was thinking of was in 1838; another (genuine twins) was a year later.
Title: Re: Registration of twin births
Post by: coombs on Saturday 23 January 16 18:01 GMT (UK)
One ancestor was born in April 1842 and the time of birth was given as 7:30am. I am sure he was not a twin, and they must have stopped putting the time on for single births about 1845.
Title: Re: Registration of twin births
Post by: stanmapstone on Saturday 23 January 16 21:22 GMT (UK)
Apparently one registrar in Stoke-in-Trent put times against all the registrations up until about 1850.

Stan
Title: Re: Registration of twin births
Post by: zetlander on Sunday 24 January 16 13:18 GMT (UK)
Not certain on this but I think all Scottish birth registrations have the time of birth noted.
Title: Re: Registration of twin births
Post by: stanmapstone on Sunday 24 January 16 13:30 GMT (UK)
That is correct in Scotland the time of birth was put on all birth certificates.

Stan
Title: Re: Registration of twin births
Post by: Maggyanne1950 on Monday 25 January 16 13:59 GMT (UK)
I found a still born child on deceased on line, recorded as SBC of parents names. You can search for free on there and only pay the small fee if you locate a record. Coverage is patchy.