What is an original certificate?

[coffeecup]

When you send for a birth marriage or death certificate from the records office do you recieve a photocopy of the original?

The reason I ask is that I was contacted by someone researching the same ancestors and they showed me a marriage certificate that I had already independantly sent for. The writing on theirs was completely different to my copy.

Whose copy is from the original?

Also I contacted Liverpool records office to look up a marriage entry in the church records they have on microfiche there, as there is some doubt that the bride's father's christian name is correct and I wanted to compare the certificate I have to the church's entry. They sent me an exact copy of the marriage certificate that I had already. Does that mean the certificate was filled in at the church?

I'm really confused about this. Can anybody explain please?

[mshrmh]

Certificates from the local register office (not records office) may or may not be photocopies of the originals held there - you can usually tell from the format - if a photocopy the middle section is the original - topped & tailed by the current format & registrar. If filled in by the modern registrar is seems better spaced and the writing is more consistent - particularly the signatures.
The church register is that signed at the time of the ceremony so should tie in with that the couple have. After 1837 it is the legal document so there should be no differences.

Modifying - additionally - regarding the difference in father's name - it may be that he used a different name to his "registered name" and that is what was used at the wedding. Sometimes if the father was dead (and it doesn't automatically get stated on the wedding cert.) the daughter could use what he was called, rather than what he was registered with in all innocence. Then again there are "fathers of convenience" who weren't recorded on their offspring's birth certificates 

[thurston]

Hi,

I am not too sure but this is what I think, maybe someone will correct me!!

When a birth, marriage or death was recorded the registrar of that district would record in his books the event, and four times per year he would send copies of these records to the General Registrar of England and Wales.  When ordering from a local records centre I have found that my certs are copied onto new sheets in modern handwriting but this may not be the case elsewhere.

When I order from the Family Records Centre in London I think the copies are photocopied from the General Registrars records, which I think were second copies so not the original.

When I order online with scotspeople I can look at the actual orginal entry of a record.

[Necromancer]

Basically what you are getting from the GRO (Topped and tailed around the entry) and the LRO is a copy of the Register Entry.

The writing will often be that of the Clerk who copied the Register entry from the Church Register or LRO submissions - but an actual LRO Register entry should be original handwriting - I think !

The Certificate was a one-off given to you at the time... and thus all handwriting will be original ..

I'll modify and attach a copy of a Warrington Register entry to illustrate ...

[Stumped!]

This has always bothered me.
Does it mean that there is a chance that the marriage certificate that we get from the GRO can be inaccurate?
Is this what happens? The church register would be completed and a certificate given to the bride/groom which should have identical information.
Then the local register office compiles a "master" register from the information supplied by the churches which again should be identical.
If I'm understanding it correctly then there are at least two chances of error.
Peter

[aghadowey]

I've seen a few examples where the register kept by the church and the register deposited in the local Registry Office differ on things like father's name, etc. Both would have been filled out at the time of the marriage by the minister.
In the 1930s a relative got married and the minister forgot to bring the registers so the couple had to go back to the church the next day to sign them.

[Necromancer]

my own name is incorrect as 'Father of the Groom' - 2004 marriage .... the vicar wouldnt change it once it was in the register ..... 

[Necromancer]

PSB - take a look at this ....

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/mikefost/

[aghadowey]

In the 1980s my husband to be and I got our marriage licence and went straight to minister to sort out wedding arrangements. While waiting we luckily noticed that it was full of mistakes- his surname omitted and his 3rd Christian name used as surname, his birthplace incorrect, etc. Had to drive back to Registrar to get it done again.