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

[old rowley]

Going by the sleeving that "Laura" and "Dorcas"had on their blouse's in tonights episode it would appear to have been set between 1889 and 1893 when the kick up at the shoulder seam was in fashion however according to Bob Dutton the program's art director the dress shop run by the Pratt sister's is made up to look like one in 1895 which would fit in with their clothing as the Pratt sister's are seen to be wearing gigot sleeving in some of the episodes. Flora Thompson (nee Timms) who wrote Lark Rise to Candleford based the character "Laura Timmins" on her self. If you stayed with Flora's own date of birth as being a starting point she was born in 1876 and left school at 14 to take up her position in the post office this would make it 1890 which sits squarely with the series.

old rowley

[willow154]

Hi everyone,
I came across two baptism certificates (both handwritten) for two of my husband's ancestors, whilst searching through documents at the Nottinghamshire Archives Office.
I know one of them, Benjamin Richards, was the toll collector near Trent Bridge (he also was licensee of the Nottingham Arms, Trent Bridge). He was working as toll collector in the 1820s, up to mid 1830s. Benjamin was born in 1783, and died in 1836.
The other certificate, for Joseph Richards, I believe may have come from the West Bridgford Methodist Church - where he might have been a trustee. Joseph was born in 1818 and died in 1888.
Incidentally, both were baptised at the High Pavement Chapel in Nottingham (non-conformist).
I think they were probably required by the Corporation and the Methodist Church, to confirm their age and identity, etc. (a bit like the Civil Service evidence of age certificates).
I've scanned a copy of Benjamin's for you to see.
Hope this helps.
Paulene

[stanmapstone]

I love it too.



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 ....

If he was 70 the earliest he could have a birth certificate was 1907, that is born after June 1837. When the Old Age Pension was introduced on the 1st Jan. 1909, for those aged 70 and over, it was realised that some difficulty in determining the age of the claimant would be found in many cases, and one of the documents acceptable was a certificate of baptism.

Stan

[wini]

Ruskie

"Candleford" is on the ABC on Sunday nights in Oz. Programme starts 8.30pm

wini

[behindthefrogs]

When the old age pension was first paid in 1909 to those aged 70 or older a lot of people had to obtain a certificate of baptism to prove that they were over 70.  This included not only those born before registration in 1837 but also those whose birth was not registered.

Those who belonged to the Baptist Denomination of the church had particular difficulty because they were not baptised until they were teenagers.

My own baptism certificate contains no indication that I was not baptised until the age of sixteen.

Returning to the programme one could also question why he was having to retire at the age of 70.  At that time the criterium was usually whether a person was fit enough to continue in his job, which he clearly was.

David

[MarkyP]

This is interesting, I guess I've got a Baptism certificate for my daughter then, but I never thought that I might be able to get them pre-1837! Strangely enough the main crux of my research are my Jerome descendants who were Baptists, is it likely that they would have had Baptism Certificates? Also are they likely to be personal things that were just for the parents or would there have been records of such things?

Back to the program, Dorcas definitely said Birth Certificate (I think   for her father, who was born 70 years previously. Given when it is said the program is set that would put it in the mid 1820s!

[behindthefrogs]

This is interesting, I guess I've got a Baptism certificate for my daughter then, but I never thought that I might be able to get them pre-1837! Strangely enough the main crux of my research are my Jerome descendants who were Baptists, is it likely that they would have had Baptism Certificates? Also are they likely to be personal things that were just for the parents or would there have been records of such things?

You will be unlikely to be able to get a baptism certificate in the way that you can obtain a birth certificate.  There is a very slight chance that one which was obtained in the past has been preserved in a family's archives.  It would have been no more than a written confirmation of an entry in the church register produced to show date or place of birth.

David

[stanmapstone]

When the old age pension was first paid in 1909 to those aged 70 or older a lot of people had to obtain a certificate of baptism to prove that they were over 70.  This included not only those born before registration in 1837 but also those whose birth was not registered.
David

As I posted before, When the Old Age Pension was introduced on the 1st Jan. 1909, for those aged 70 and over, it was realised that some difficulty in determining the age of the claimant would be found in many cases, and one of the documents acceptable was a certificate of baptism. Other documents that were allowed to be regarded were a certificate of service in any of the Forces of the Crown, certificate of membership of any friendly or provident society or trade union, and certificate of marriage. Any other evidence which appeared sufficient for the purpose could also be accepted. Documentary evidence of age had to be provided at the claimant's own expense, but in special cases in England and Wales, where the claimant was not in a position to produce a certificate of birth, but could give the year and place of his/her birth the pension officer could apply direct to the Registrar General for the information. In Scotland where certificates of birth were not available, the Old Parochial Registers of births and baptisms in the custody of the Registrar General in Edinburgh could be searched for the information where necessary. In Ireland where certificates of birth were not available the Baptismal Registers could probably afford the necessary evidence of age and it was expected that claimants should have no difficulty in obtaining certificates.

Stan

[stanmapstone]

A circular issued at the time by the Local Government Board stated;
Regard may be had not only to strictly legal evidence such as would be admissible in a Court of Law, but to any such evidence as is in the opinion of the committee sufficient for the purpose, and is the best information which it is reasonably possible to obtain. The regulations were that the claimant must have attained the age of 70, must have been a British subject for at least 20 years, and have resided in the United Kingdom, and their yearly means not exceed £31. 10 shillings.

Stan