RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Talacharn on Sunday 30 March 25 23:02 BST (UK)
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I need some clarification. On Family Search I found a death of interest.
The death was in 1995 and it also offers a birth of 1942. They say the information is from England and Wales, Death Registration Index 1837-2007. It is the only place his birth is offered. The GRO does not offer an age and birth year. Neither does FreeBMD, and it is not even on his gravestone.
How accurate is that record and birth year?
How can they offer a birth year when other do not?
Is there any way I can read the source information?
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Death registrations from 1969 show full birthdate but GRO online just shows the birthyear. That assumes the person reporting the death had that info
Can you post the full details as it's difficult to give a full explanation without the name etc
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That is the issue, the year of birth and/or age is not on any other site only Family Search. It is not on his gravestone. I would like to use the birth year, but question its accuracy. Even if I buy the death certificate, would it offer the date of birth, or even the year, when it is not on the GRO?
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I'm sure you have probably already looked, but Ancestry has they claim, 80% of recent deaths complied from funeral directors and obituary deaths.
For births 1942 death 1995 there are 20 male entries, 17 with birth date, 3 without(only year).
Ancestry "England & Wales Death Index 1989-2024"
Cathy
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Hi Cathy and CaroleW, Having sent PMs and from your replies thanks. If the birth details are not on Ancestry, FreeBMD, the GRO or his grave; how is Family Search able to offer 1942? Where has that information arrived from?
I am sceptical as I have searched for 1942 births with the two possible surnames and discounted all. That is why I am questioning 1942.
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Have you checked to see if there was a will? This would confirm maybe full name, actual date of death and address to possibly tie in with the person you are following. Obviously won't give date/year of . What about the main pay websites?
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On FamilySearch the "England and Wales, Death Registration Index 1837-2007" record collection is taken from the GRO indexes (via FindMyPast) so it should be in the GRO index.
If you can't find it it suggests a mis-transcription ( or an alternative name is on the entry).
If you let me have details I can advise further.
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That is the issue, the year of birth and/or age is not on any other site only Family Search. It is not on his gravestone. I would like to use the birth year, but question its accuracy. Even if I buy the death certificate, would it offer the date of birth, or even the year, when it is not on the GRO?
Yes, it will give the full date of birth, assuming the informant knew it. There is always an element of uncertainty around that. Sometimes the day & month are correct, because people celebrate birthdays, but the year may be wrong.
Are you sure the person was born in England or Wales?
The GRO online is only an index, it does not give full details. The same with FreeBMD.
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I have received a PM saying it is not on Ancestry and I have not checked FindMyPast, but a birth year is not on the GRO.
I have looked and there is no Will/Probate.
I am about to send an email to FamilySearch asking for clarification.
Where did they find the birth year?
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As I understand it - it should be possible to contact the person uploading or transcribing the FS records via a link on the record on FS. Having said that, I haven't had a reply from the transcriber on the two occasions I have made contact.
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The entry is easy to find on Ancestry, FreeBMD and GRO. However the GRO index doesn't show any year of birth - for some reason it hasn't been transcribed.
The FreeBMD entry, shows the birth with two dashes before the year: "- - 1942" which would imply that the informant could only give a year and not an exact date of birth, or the age may just have been estimated.
Ordering a certificate would confirm.
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I am sceptical as I have searched for 1942 births with the two possible surnames and discounted all. That is why I am questioning 1942.
If widening the search beyond 1942 doesn't produce a result, is it possible that the person was born in Scotland, Ireland or elsewhere?
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There is a marriage in 1963, with son born the same year.
That was confirmed by a local who knew him and the family.
Considering the dates, 1942 is reasonable in being 21 when married.
If the marriage certificate says he was 21, that could explain the source.
It would help to know the accuracy of 1942.
Once I receive a response from FamilySearch I will post it, though I am not holding out much hope.
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FamilySearch are only reproducing what is in the index, they won't have anything else.
A 1995 death certificate should also give a place of birth ( if known to the informant).
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FamilySearch say their information is from the index. I am sure it will be the same index FreeBMD, the GRO and Ancestry used, but they have not included a birth year. Where is the FamilySearch birth year from?
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OP says FreeBMD does not give year of birth, but AnthonyMMM in reply #10 states it is "- - 1942", he is no doubt correct.
Surely the only way forward is to get the certificate? This will give informant's name & relationship [this may not be someone who knew person well enough to know accurate date or place of birth - as has been pointed out by Sloe Gin & AnthonyMMM].
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The birth year is in the index, Ancestry, FindMyPast and FreeBMD all show it.
GRO have either got a transcription error, or under the new indexing rules have left it off because it is estimated.
The only way to know is to get a certificate.
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I think it will be an estimate based on being 21 in 1963 when he married. Up to 1969 the legal age of marriage without consent was 21. My search needs to be treated the same +/- 2 years.
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Who reported his death? Did that person know him sufficiently well to give an accurate birthyear?
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Without a name I don't see how we can be of any further help.
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I don't know, probably his wife. The one who reported the death, their name would be on the death certificate, which I will not buy at present. The birth year will be around 1942 as it is assumed he was 21 when marrying in 1963. He might have been younger as 21 was the legal age of marriage without consent. Their child was born 3 months later. There was some urgency and a need to marry.
I do not need to take this thread any further. It will not find him, so i need to trace other members of the family and may stumble across him.