How long are GRO certs taking?

[coombs]

Its like waiting for exam results. I keep waking up thinking "Are they here" or when I am at work I get home thinking "Have they arrived today?" That is how addictive genealogy is.

Snap. Hopefully later this month when the GRO have sent out all the 7 Pounders we won't have to wait so long.
 

Jean

I like to spruce up my family tree and get exact dates of birth, marriage and death.

[carol8353]

It's not like waiting for exam results-they give you a set date when they are going to arrive 

Carol

[Jean McGurn]

THat's why I send off for them.  Plus there are occasions you get those other bits of info that punch holes in the brickewall.

I have found married names on death certs and even found unknown siblings on marriage certs when they have been witnessess.

If only they were online one wouldn't have to wait for the post.

Jean

[coombs]

Yes marriage witnesses and death cert informants have broken down a brickwall. On birth certs the informant was usually one of the parents.

[richarde1979]

"If only they were online one wouldn't have to wait for the post"

I do wonder if it may actually have been, or would be more useful if the petitions had asked for the required law change needed to make this a reality rather than simply protest the price rise, which though I did sign, I doubt is likely to have any effect.

To my understanding the scanning of the Deaths and Births has already been done, (up to around 1930's?) just the marriages remain. You would think then, at least even if we could not see these online, at very least the GRO would be able to already make use of these to digitally call up and print the certificates and send. However according to a recent post on another thread by Guy Etchells, this doesn't seem the case, and they are apparantly still following the old system which must be extremelly laborious and unnecesarily elaborate, as the real cost for producing a piece of paper with a few lines of info could be as a high as twenty pounds for them. Whether true or not I do not know, but  they are certainly running at a loss under the current system. It would surely be as much to their benefit as ours to switch to a totally digitised system. Maybe if M.P's thought this was an issue with some amount of public support it might speed up the process?

[plimmerian]

sorry everyone - my friends and family have been ordering frantically for my future birthday and christmas prezzies....someone has saved over £50....but now I will have months or even years to wait until I actually see them, even though they will be in a secret hiding place so I can't find them - not that I'd go snooping!!!

 

[Sloe Gin]

To my understanding the scanning of the Deaths and Births has already been done, (up to around 1930's?) just the marriages remain. You would think then, at least even if we could not see these online, at very least the GRO would be able to already make use of these to digitally call up and print the certificates and send. However according to a recent post on another thread by Guy Etchells, this doesn't seem the case, and they are apparantly still following the old system

I thought they were using the digitised records?  Surely that was the primary purpose of the exercise, to modernise the GRO systems. 

I'm not conversant with the details, but Guy has said more than once that there has already been an attempt to change the law, which fell through.  I assume it was the law which insists that Register Offices may only provide us with information in the form of certified copies? 

[Lydart]

My postman must think I've got a thing about him, for I rush out every morning to see him !   

But alas, certs I ordered, which they said would be dispatched 30th March, still haven't arrived ... 

[carol8353]

Had to laugh at that Lydart- so did I today.

And felt very silly when he walked right past my house.

Not even a bill for me today