Stillbirths

[Lloydy]

I have exactly the same situation as you......the only difference being my sister was stillborn in 1962.

I contacted the GRO to see whether I could obtain a copy of a certificate but was advised that only the parents named are able to do this. I will be able to once my parents have died (horrible thought).

I cannot discuss my sister with either of my parents, they have just blocked it all out and prefer to leave it that way. Very sad.

Jan

The reply you got from the GRO is not actually correct.
The GRO policy is that only the parents of the stillborn child may ask for a search of the stillbirth register and purchase a certificate but the law says different.

In law each application is actually dependent on the decision of the Registrar General.
It is possible that the Registrar General would be willing to accept an application from a sibling and direct the GRO to provide a certificate.
This has been done many times in the past the current guidance simply speeds up the situation by not having to forward every application to the Registrar General.

Try writing to the Registrar General and explain the situation, stress the importance of being allowed to find closure on the loss of your sibling, a loss which though it happened years ago is very significant to you as a sibling. Stress also that the present guidance is actually causing more anguish fed by the fact you feel you are having to almost wish for the death of your parents before being allowed to know the truth about your sibling.
The 1953 Act section 30/3 states-
(3) The foregoing provisions of this section shall not apply to certified copies of entries in registers of still-births, but the Registrar General may, if he sees fit in any particular case and on payment of as aforesaid of the appropriate fee aforesaid, cause a search to be made for, and allow any person to have a certified copy of any entry in any such certified copies or in any filled register of still-births which has been forwarded to him.
Cheers
Guy

Guy

Thanks for your very useful advice (I know you have already passed this on to me!!), and after reading it I have decided to write such a letter explaining my wish for closure.  I assume that I'll need to enclose my birth certificate as proof of my identity?

Jan

[tulstig]

Have just come across this topic as I'm just starting to see if I can find any record of my stillborn younger brother.

As with many families his birth was never discussed and as I was only young at the time I only have an approx year (1964). I know my mum was so upset by the way in which she and the baby were treated at the time. Alledgedly he was wrapped in a sheet and taken away never to be seen again. It seems no-one even knows where he was buried.

From reading the above am I correct in assuming there is a seperate register, or should he appear on the birth & death registers? Unfortunately he never had a name either.

Thanks,
Mark

[wendybarlow]

Hi

I found a stillborn by looking through the cemetary records.

Best Wishes
Wendy

[tulstig]

Hi Wendy,

Thanks for the suggestion but I've been through the local cemetry records for other relatives, and there's no mention of him there.

mark

[liverpool annie]

Hi Mark !!

This is still a very touchy subject in our family ........ and I'm still looking too ....
I was told that as the baby did not take a breath - there was no birth certificate - therefore no death certificate !! but I wonder if there would still be hospital records ......... the Archives have some hospital records and I haven't tried there yet ....... but it might be worth a shot !! especially for you - as yours is more recent than mine !!

Annie 

[tulstig]

HI Annie,

Thanks for the pointer. As far as I know he was born in the same hospital as my brother & I, so perhaps I could contact them.
The way in which it was all described by my mum many years ago suggest that it would have been the same - no certs, almost not acknowledged at all.

Thanks,

Mark

[Lloydy]

Hello again

I am no further forward as, to be honest, I feel that I can't go behind my parents back by writing to the Registrar General. 

I think I will leave well alone for the time being.

Jan

[Phay]

hiya all

I am quite new to all this but have a story which may or may not help.

My older sister died at birth in 1969, she had spina bifida and hydrocephalus and died shortly after, my dad handled the burial and died with my mum never
knowing the place of burial or the date of the funeral,

That was that until 1999 when my own child passed away and I was compelled to find my sister and so I went hunting.  Back in the day I was not into genealogy so took to the phone,

I started by phoning the GRO they told me that only my mum could apply but after explaining my situation ( I think they took pity on me) they did a search they discovered that there was no birth cert as the child was registered as stillborn, I asked for a copy of the Stillborn cert and this arrived.

Next I wanted to know where she was buried, I assumed that we were born in the same hospital and so started there where I was told that they used to incinerate stillbirths (which horrified me) They also told me that they used to deal with a local cemetery mostly and so then phoned there with no joy.

I worked around the area explaining my situation and doing a lot of talking eventually I spoke to an old boy who looked after a cemetery and he informed me of one particular cemetery which might be of interest to me, I phoned up explained what I was looking for and about a week later a lady rang back to tell me that they had found my sister and sent me the grave information..

All this information was obtained and I was never asked for a penny, 

I don't know if any of this helps any one, but it is possible with a little perseverance

Good Luck with your Search

[liverpool annie]

Hi Phay and welcome to RootsChat !

Thank you so much for sharing that with us ..... I'm sure it'll give us pause for thought !!

I know that maybe I'll be able to go further with my search now - especially regarding the "stillborn" certificate ! ...... I had been told at one time that my sister had been taken to the lab and as it was a teaching hospital .... she had been observed as a teaching tool ..... which gave me the shivers ........ at that point I stopped ....... I don't believe my Mum ever knew that !!

We all seem to have some very sad stories ..... but thanks again for your post !

Annie