Locating record of a twin

[Pennines]

Esther Stead doesn't seem to be a still born baby. Her death is registered Q/E Sep 1909, Rochdale Reg Dist.

What is odd about this is that William and Esther are NOT on the same page of the birth register - which twins would normally be.

It may be that the parents thought Esther wasn't going to survive - so decided to 'wait and see' before registering her birth.

Was the name 'Esther' in the family prior to this baby's birth I wonder?

Regards June

[LizzieW]

What is odd about this is that William and Esther are NOT on the same page of the birth register - which twins would normally be.

My dad and his twin sister are on the same page of the birth register, but a younger sister, who had a twin who was either stillborn, or died at birth doesn't seem to be registered.  I've not got my aunt's birth certificate, so don't know whether the time of her birth is shown or not.  I doubt there was an official burial for any stillborn child, as my gran had all her children at home, I imagine the doctor or nurse/midwife would have just got rid of a stillbirth - this was 1917.

Lizzie

[Luzzu]

Just checked the references for the twins in my tree and PaulineJ, Pennines and Lizzie are right.  My twins have exactly the same reference, although I suppose it could be possible that one twin could be the last entry on a page, and the other twin the first entry on the next page.

Esther Stead doesn't seem to be a still born baby. Her death is registered Q/E Sep 1909, Rochdale Reg Dist.

Esther isn't a still born baby as both her birth and death were registered.

Re the burials of stillborns, Cancan and I have done a lot of research in relation to the Manchester General Cemetery Transcription Project and there are many, many stillbirths recorded in the burial registers as she mentioned in her previous post.  In some cases the parents names are recorded as well as the address.  In one case, (which is unusual) a family have named their stillborn son and had his name inscribed on the gravestone although in the burial register he is not named.

I have just re-read the original post and Jeastead referred to a dead child being recorded on the 1911 census and wondered if this was in fact was William's twin.  If the twin was indeed a stillbirth and the census was completed correctly (which wasn't always the case), this child couldn't be the twin because the census question is "Children born alive in the present marriage".  Therefore a still born child shouldn't be recorded.   I was wondering if Jeastead should be looking for the birth and death of another sibling in addition to the twin she is already looking for.

Luzzu 

[LizzieW]

Luzzu

Do you have access to the stillbirth burial register, I'd love to know if my aunt did in fact have a twin (possibly sister).  The family lived in Harpurhey, so not sure if a burial would have been at Manchester General Cemetery.

Lizzie

[jeastead]

Hi,

Having searched through the burial registers of Manchester General Cemetery (Non Conformist only) they do record still born burials.  In some cases they put the parents name(sometimes only the surname) and address.  As you would have an address form the birth certificate of the other child it might be traceable.

If you have an idea which Cemetery (if it was a cemetery - not sure about Crematoriums- though they possibly would keep the same kind of records) and they have burials registers it's worth a search, as you have said it was a twin. (Though when registering they may not have stated the child as a 'twin')

Do you have any information if the child was a still born or did he/she survive to a certain age?

Searching for the Burial Registers possibly at the Office or a library could help with your search. Or contacting a Crematorium if there was one in the town at that time?  They may each offer a search for a fee?  Or if you track them down search them for yourself or maybe someone with access would offer to do it for you?

Cancan

thank you for the post - I don't have any more information I am afraid. It just was shown on the 1911 census that a child had been born and died so I assumed that this was the twin. I live in Australia but have also asked Touchstones in Rochdale for assistance too.
Thanks again
Jean

[jeastead]

Just checked the references for the twins in my tree and PaulineJ, Pennines and Lizzie are right.  My twins have exactly the same reference, although I suppose it could be possible that one twin could be the last entry on a page, and the other twin the first entry on the next page.

Esther Stead doesn't seem to be a still born baby. Her death is registered Q/E Sep 1909, Rochdale Reg Dist.

Esther isn't a still born baby as both her birth and death were registered.

Re the burials of stillborns, Cancan and I have done a lot of research in relation to the Manchester General Cemetery Transcription Project and there are many, many stillbirths recorded in the burial registers as she mentioned in her previous post.  In some cases the parents names are recorded as well as the address.  In one case, (which is unusual) a family have named their stillborn son and had his name inscribed on the gravestone although in the burial register he is not named.

I have just re-read the original post and Jeastead referred to a dead child being recorded on the 1911 census and wondered if this was in fact was William's twin.  If the twin was indeed a stillbirth and the census was completed correctly (which wasn't always the case), this child couldn't be the twin because the census question is "Children born alive in the present marriage".  Therefore a still born child shouldn't be recorded.   I was wondering if Jeastead should be looking for the birth and death of another sibling in addition to the twin she is already looking for.

Luzzu 

Hello Luzzu, I think from what other posts have said that you may be right, I should be looking for death of the twin and not a still birth.Thank you for your time and posts. Will try searching for a birth/death but how do you search when you don't have a christian name?
Regards
jeastead
Jeastead.

[jeastead]

thank you all who have answered my post, you have given me more ideas as how to find the twin. Your help is much appreciated.
Regards
Jeastead

[jeastead]

Hi
Lancashire bmds have the following 1909
Stead  William   Wardleworth Rochdale
Stead  Esther            "              "

There is another William born 1909 but he was born Spotland which in the 1911 is a different family.
I see they were in Wardleworth in 1911.
Thank you again.
Regards
Jean (jeastead)
Cathy

Hi Cathy, Thank you for your post - since receiving it and others on this subject I have had another look at BMD deaths in 1909 in Rochdale and have found a James Thomas Stead who died in the second quarter of 1909 and gives his age as 0 so I guess  I will have to send for the certificate to make sure. The family were living in Whitehall St Rochdale on the 1911 census.

[keyboard86]

Hi
Lancashire bmds have the following 1909
Stead  William   Wardleworth Rochdale
Stead  Esther            "              "

There is another William born 1909 but he was born Spotland which in the 1911 is a different family.
I see they were in Wardleworth in 1911.
Thank you again.
Regards
Jean (jeastead)
Cathy

Hi Cathy, Thank you for your post - since receiving it and others on this subject I have had another look at BMD deaths in 1909 in Rochdale and have found a James Thomas Stead who died in the second quarter of 1909 and gives his age as 0 so I guess  I will have to send for the certificate to make sure. The family were living in Whitehall St Rochdale on the 1911 census.

Hi again, I noted that one, the only problem I had was finding the birth in Rochdale?


Edit just found it Dec 1908!!
Keyboard86