Do you know that if you apply to the local register office (ie not GRO) and give details such as father's name is Charles or Charles Edward , the local record office will not charge you anything unless the details you give and the details on the certificate match. The trick is to be specific enough without being too specific. If , for example, you say father's name is Charles Edward, and it only says Charles on the certificate, they won't send the certificate but you won't know whether the father's name was Charles or Noggin the Nog. In this case, you might say "father's full name was Charles Edward but I will accept Charles or Chas." or whatever criteria you will accept.
