Are mistakes made on birth certs?

[WHS1899]

I have a problem with one of my husband's ancestors. His great grandfather's birth cert shows HIS parents as Joseph Ballard and Hannah D'arcy. His siblings, born before and after him show the parents as Joseph Ballard and Hannah Fawkes. 
The 1881 census with widowed Hannah Ballard and two of her children shows she was born in Stroud, Glos. Research has shown Hannah Fawkes was born in Bisley, Glos (near enough) and the right age etc. There is no trace of a Hannah D'arcy at all...anywhere.
I think great grandfathers mum was Hannah Fawkes, which means the name on the birth cert is incorrect......

Has anyone else come across anything similar? Are mistakes made on certs?

Beverley

[Ecneps]

Short answer, yes 

Happened in my family several times, one marriage cert has a totally wrong maiden name, have never found out where it came from, and as the parties concerned couldn't read or write, they wouldn't have known it was written down incorrectly, I suppose.

Barbara

[WHS1899]

Barbara,
Thanks for that...I'll just forget about the D'arcy surname and get on with the Fawkes research!
Beverley

[stanmapstone]

The information is only as good as that given by the informant.
Before 1874 the Registration Act required that
XX. And be it enacted, That the Father or Mother of every child born in England after the said First Day of March, or in case of the Death, Illness, Absence, or Inability of the Father or Mother, the Occupier of the House or Tenement in which such Child shall have been born, shall, within Forty-two Days next after the Day of every such Birth, give Information, upon being requested so to do, to the said Registrar, according to the best of his or her Knowledge and Belief, of the several Particulars hereby required to be known and registered touching the Birth of such Child.

The 1874 Act also has the words to the best of his or her Knowledge and Belief
See http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~framland/acts/actind.htm

Stan

[hepburn]

Is it also possible to make mistakes on Marriage Certificates?

[Mumsie2131]

I have a correction made on a birth certificate - the original gives the date of birth as 7.6.1880 registered on the 3 .6.1880 - a correctionwas made on the 9.10.1880 by the Registrar 'in the presence of' the Deputy Supt Registrar t o show the birth was registered on the 3.7.1880.
So mistakes were made AND acknowledged when they were recognised - not a lot they could do if they weren't recognised !!!!

[indiapaleale]

Is it also possible to make mistakes on Marriage Certificates?

Oh Yes,

My grandfather's brother had his uncle's name on his marriage cert instead of his father. It is not surprising as the uncle raised him....but had me confused for quite a while.

And then of course there are those that lie about their age....

Or..marital status......widows that are still married! 

Nothing is ever 100% certain!   

Indi

[Ecneps]

one marriage cert has a totally wrong maiden name, have never found out where it came from, and as the parties concerned couldn't read or write, they wouldn't have known it was written down incorrectly, I suppose.

Yes, example above 
Barbara

[Mumsie2131]

I also have a maiden name given as Broad - when from other sources it is Broadhurst - they both married the sme chap !