Unregistered Birth or GRO Index Error

[cb1964]

Rootschatters 

I have posted messages on other boards regarding my Grandfather, but I have a specific question. William James Selwood was born, according to his pension records, on 29 April 1887. On the 1891 & 1901 census he is shown as James Selwood having been born in Thame, Oxon.

I have tried many, many routes to try and find his birth certificate without success. It may well be that his birth was never registered, but he would have had to prove his age when he claimed his pension in 1952.

I have read that sometimes births were registered many years later and that in some cases the GRO indexes are incorrect. Is there any way of tracing late registrations or trying to obtain the original details from the Registrar at Thame (which no longer exists) rather than relying on the GRO index.

I'm really struggling with this one I'm afraid.

Regards

CB1964

[Redroger]

If the birth was registered, then it should be shown as an addendum on the appropriate page of the GRO Index. My grandmother b1872 Cambridge had exactly the same problem when she wanted her pension, no birth certificate, only she said that her birth had been registered and that the registrar at that time was an alcoholic, he would take the fee, tell the illiterate person the birth was registered, and then pocket the fee without issuing a certificate. A nice little earner on the side!More seriously the registers at Thame should have been transferred somewhere when the office closed, and should still be available.

[jannic]

Hi,

I've had similar problems to this with a couple of people in my family tree, one turned out to have been a housekeeper having her employers children, another was a bigamous relationship!

If this could be the case then your William James is probably registered under his mother's maiden name!

Have you been able to trace his parents deaths?  Was William an only child?  Have you been able to trace his father through all of the census years?

I spent a small fortune on my bigamous relly's children's certificates, he never did marry wives 2&3!

Good luck
Jan

[stanmapstone]

Thame RD was abolished 1-10-1932 and the registers transferred to Aylesbury RD and Ploughley & Bullingdon RD. Subseqently transferred to  Aylesbury Vale RD and Oxfordshire RD.

Stan

[cb1964]

Thank you all for replying.

Roger, I've checked the appropriate page and no amendments have been made.

Jan, I have traced the parents deaths. William James (or James) was an only child, as far as the census records indicate. I have the father on all the census records back to his birth. The other main problem is I cannot find a marriage cert for the parents of William James. If his birth is registered in his mother's maiden name, I have no way of checking it.

Stan, thanks for the information, much appreciated.

Regards

CB1964

[tazzie]

   Unless the mother can be traced back from census records. If so that would narrow maiden names to births in 1887 for Thame.

  So to help .... whats was his mother name and where did she give as place of birth for 1891/1901?

  It may give a small clue.

                   Tazzie

[cb1964]

Hi Tazzie

Thanks for replying. The mother is down on the 1891 and 1901 census as Fanny Selwood, wife of James. As I said earlier I cannot find a marriage entry.
On the 1891, Fanny's place of birth if Buckinghamshire, n.k. 1901 it is Bucks, and what looks like Chalvey, which I believe is Upton Cum Chalvey. In 1891 the family are living in Gloucester and Tewkesbury in 1901.

Fanny died in 1903 in Tewkesbury, her name on the death cert is Harriett Frances Selwood.

Any help would be greatfully received.

Regards

CB1964

[Tati]

Hi all 

Tazzie - one more problem is Fanny's inconsistent age - she's age 34 in 1891, age 52 in 1901, and her age at death in 1903 seems to be 57!

 

[tazzie]

    ..... Hi Tati ..... yep just spotted that one 

            Tazzie