Tired of waiting for your certificates ?

[Willow 4873]

My certificates turned up!

Now know my great grandmothers maiden name, discovered that my great great grandad was a widower when he married and my great great grandfather died on christmas eve of pluro pnumonia

Oh happy day *dancing around the computer*

Willow x

[booger]

Yeah. I ordered a certificate before Christmas, and I'm still waiting! This time last year I would have expected it to arrive within 7 days.

I blame it on the masses of new enthusiasts who have begun participating in our elite sport  - all of that running around graveyards, villages and records centres makes it a sport for me!

Even with this added inconvenience, I think that genealogy and family history should be made compulsory for all children. In fact, I think that young people should be required to demonstrate adequate knowledge of at least one line of their ancestors, going back 4 generations or more, before being issued a National Insurance number or a drivers license. Why? Don't know, but it seems a good idea.

[Paul E]

Hi

Mine just arrived today - about two and a half weeks.

Paul

[Shanko]

I ordered a certificate for a friend back home (UK) and I got it in 3 days. You can get it that same day but it costs you a tads extra but super fast over here (Aussie)

 

[rogerofgoostrey]

Hi All

I have just posted an order for a birth certificate from The Forest of Dean Registry Office (Gloucestershire).

I will keep you posted as to how long it takes.

I hope that my recomendation (see earlier post on this subject) doesn't go pear shaped as this is the first time I have ordered from this registry office.

Kind regards

Roger

[booger]

I started using the GRO website to order my certificates about 1.5 years ago. I used to try to order them from the local register offices, but sometimes got letters back saying that they couldn't find the entry. No more trying to decide which office to send the request to.

Besides, I think it's nice to have a photocopy of the original entry rather than those  modern transcriptions written in big girlie-letters - not the elegant penmanship of old dead people.

Transcriptions = Possible errors.

Also, the strange shaped marriage certificates that the local offices provide are difficult to photocopy/scan and have to be folded for storage in protective A4 sleeves.

Oh yes, on the subject of photocopying; does anyone take any notice of the copyrights we are asked to sign after receiving copies from records offices? Who owns the information on these records? Surely, as living descendants of these people, we are the rightful owners.

Still awaiting my cert. Come on let his middle name be Arthur...please!

[rogerofgoostrey]

Hi All

This morning I received the birth certificate from The Forest of Dean Registry Office (Gloucestershire) that I ordered by post on on Thursday 13 January (see reply 22).  My order was sent by first class post and must have been received Friday (the certificate was dated 14/01/05).  They sent the certificate to me by second class post so it arrived today and not Saturday.

Congratulations to The Forest of Dean Registry Office  and to the Royal Mail for providing a perfect service.

As far as I can determine all the information was correctly transcribed and the writing was small and neat with no big girly letters.

So at the end of the day I prefer the registry office service but others may prefer to wait a long time to get a certificate that ican be difficult to read but is a replica of the original.  The choice is yours.

Regards

Roger

[rogerofgoostrey]

Hi All

Me again.

I've had a change of heart.

The birth certificate that I ordered was for my wife's great grandfather.  Now that I have her great great grandparents names I have been able to identify the quarter that they got married in.  It was the one before the birth.  Typical of these prim and proper Victorians!  Now the marriage was registered in the Monmouth registration district but I believe that the marriage actually took place in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.  Because I don't know the church I have ordered the certificate online from the GRO.  I'll get a nice A4 certificate that will fit my scanner.
I hope that I can read it OK!

You will all think that I'm a turncoat but it's horses for courses.

Its not a good start though because the estimated date of despatch is 01/02/05 which is two weeks away.

Once again I will let you know how I get on.

Regards

Roger

[suttontrust]

I got 3 certificates on Friday.  Spent the weekend chasing up the leads they gave me.  Now I've got 9 (nine) on order - for 2 different friends - and I'm in that limbo period when you can't do anything till you get the certificates.  One of the 9 I've ordered from the local RO, only because it happens to be where I live, and since this is the first time I've ordered locally it will be interesting to see how long it takes.