Have they just made a mistake........Or?

[MarkyP]

Just watching Larkrise to Candleford with my daughter when the Postmistress pulled out a Birth Certificate for her Father to say that he was 70! For those of you who don't watch this program, it's set in Victorian times so this of course would have been impossible. Or is it, did they do birth certificates before 1837?

[stanmapstone]

It is a fictional TV programme  There were no such things as birth certificates before July 1837. However he could have had a baptism certificate 

Stan

[MarkyP]

I've not heard of a baptism certificate. When and where did such things exist? 

[Ruskie]

You're not the only one asking this question. 
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/History/Question708876.html

When IS Larkrise to Candleford set? I can't find anything more specific than "late 1800's" or "19th century".

Did anyone see the Christmas programme about the "ghost" girl? Her grave marker said 1818. It was mentioned during the progarmme that this girl drowned X number of years ago (but I can't remember HOW many  ).  Can anyone remember? From this we can work out when the series is set.

[genjen]

Flora Thompson, who wrote the book, was born in 1876 so given that it is based on her family life, it is set around 1890 - 1900. She was born Flora Timms and she began her work in the post office at "Candleford" in 1891.

Jen

[luas]

Some of these TV programmes are full of anachronisms.  Foyle's War is a persistent offender.  You imagine they're written and directed by people far too young to understand the period in which they're set.

[madpants]

The date they carved on the clock stone panels last week was 1895.  I had a baptism cert for my first child.  I LOVE Larkrise to Candleford 

[Gaille]

I've not heard of a baptism certificate. When and where did such things exist? 

Hi Mark,

I have Baptism, Confirmatiom, & Communion Certificates back to my Gt-Gt grandma in the 1840s, one for my Grandad Born in 1904 - Grandad has a wonderful Certificate listing his birth date, his Baptism date, the date he was "Presented" to the church, his Confirmation date, Communion Date, and Marriage date (Gold dust for me!) .................
I also have my own from the 1960's, my sister & Brothers from the 1970's & 1980s and my nephew has one from last year.............
(Luckily for me my family are all born hoarders and dont throw much 'official' stuff away!)

They both CofE & Methodist church ones, I think its down to the individual churches to supply them and the parents to keep them updated after that.

Gaille

[Ruskie]

I love it too.

But as I'm in Australia and it's not shown here I didn't see last week's episode with the date carved on the clock (I have to rely on other methods to get my fix of BBC series  and so far I've only seen a couple of episodes from the series currently being shown in the UK).

I didn't reaslise the stories were based on Flora Thompson's life, thanks Jen. I will investigate further.

So that means that Dorcas COULD have had her father's birth certificate .... I must say I thought the series was set earlier than 1895 ....