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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Mr.Brown. on Monday 02 February 26 12:24 GMT (UK)

Title: searching gro birth results with - (dash) for mmn
Post by: Mr.Brown. on Monday 02 February 26 12:24 GMT (UK)
Hello - Ive tried various ways to find a person with no MMN which comes up as - in the list and would like to just find the ones with - but cant find a way to do it, have tried putting the - in various places and even copied and pasted the dash from other results but still doesn't work.
Any ideas?
Thanks, Gordon.
Title: Re: searching gro birth results with - (dash) for mmn
Post by: BumbleB on Monday 02 February 26 12:35 GMT (UK)
Just leave the MMN area blank - does that work?

Title: Re: searching gro birth results with - (dash) for mmn
Post by: Mr.Brown. on Monday 02 February 26 12:56 GMT (UK)
No - you then get the whole list, I am trying to just get ones with a dash for mmn to save scrolling through the list and the potential of me missing someone with the dash.
Title: Re: searching gro birth results with - (dash) for mmn
Post by: BumbleB on Monday 02 February 26 13:00 GMT (UK)
Sorry for misunderstanding.  :-X
Title: Re: searching gro birth results with - (dash) for mmn
Post by: SouthseaSteel on Monday 02 February 26 13:11 GMT (UK)

Have you tried FindMyPast Birth Records?  Much more flexible searching than GRO but with all the attributes inc MMN
Title: Re: searching gro birth results with - (dash) for mmn
Post by: jonwarrn on Monday 02 February 26 13:15 GMT (UK)
I tried a search for male Jameson births in 1883
There were 43 results, including 2 with a dash for mother's maiden name.

Searching with a dash for mmn
0 results

Searching with a dash + "phonetically similar variations" for mmn
5 results, including the 2 with a dash.

So that improved things somewhat.
Brown might be more tricky?
Title: Re: searching gro birth results with - (dash) for mmn
Post by: Zaphod99 on Monday 02 February 26 13:19 GMT (UK)
How can the MMN not be known? Usually it would be her registration, wouldn't it? Or can you register a birth anonymously?

I think there is something obvious here that I've never understood.

Zaph
Title: Re: searching gro birth results with - (dash) for mmn
Post by: jonwarrn on Monday 02 February 26 13:24 GMT (UK)
OK, using Brown as another example (in case Mr Brown is looking for Brown!)

Looking for John Brown in 1883
250 results

John Brown in 1883 with a dash + "phonetically similar variations" for mmn
22 results, including 9 with a dash.

Most of these John Browns have middle names, by the way.
Title: Re: searching gro birth results with - (dash) for mmn
Post by: Milliepede on Monday 02 February 26 13:29 GMT (UK)
What year is this for?
Title: Re: searching gro birth results with - (dash) for mmn
Post by: jonwarrn on Monday 02 February 26 13:41 GMT (UK)
It's kind of fun, but this is the last one!

Samuel Brown in 1873
30 results, including 3 with a dash for mmn

And this was reduced by the method outlined to 3 results, all with a dash for mmn.

So it seems to be working!

Title: Re: searching gro birth results with - (dash) for mmn
Post by: AntonyMMM on Monday 02 February 26 13:42 GMT (UK)
How can the MMN not be known? Usually it would be her registration, wouldn't it? Or can you register a birth anonymously?

I think there is something obvious here that I've never understood.

Zaph

Because for the new online index GRO use the registration definition of maiden name, which is the name "in which a woman first contracted a marriage".

An unmarried woman has no maiden name, so they show a blank (-).

It is one of the differences between the new and old indexes, there are others, which is why sometimes the results on FreeBMD (or Ancestry/FindMyPast etc.) and GRO don't always match.
Title: Re: searching gro birth results with - (dash) for mmn
Post by: Zaphod99 on Monday 02 February 26 13:46 GMT (UK)
Thanks AntonyMMM.

SIMPLE!

ZAPH
Title: Re: searching gro birth results with - (dash) for mmn
Post by: Mr.Brown. on Monday 02 February 26 16:09 GMT (UK)
It's kind of fun, but this is the last one!

Samuel Brown in 1873
30 results, including 3 with a dash for mmn

And this was reduced by the method outlined to 3 results, all with a dash for mmn.

So it seems to be working!

Ahh thank you that does help somewhat.