Still Born Children

[BourneGooner]

Hi all,

Just a quick question, going through some cemetery records online (www.deceasedonline.com) I've come across a record for "S B C of Ada Salmon" in 1910 I take it that "S B C" refers to Still Born Child but I can't find any relevant birth or death registrations to fit which has led to the question were Still Born Children registered?

BourneGooner

[stanmapstone]

Stillbirths were not made registrable until the Births and Deaths Act 1926, 7.-(1) The birth of every still-born child shall be registered by the registrar in a register of still-births containing the heads of information prescribed in the First Schedule to this Act.The formal registration of stillbirths began on 1 July 1927

Stan

[stanmapstone]

You can see the original 1926 Births and Deaths Registration Act at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo5/16-17/48/contents/enacted Sections 5 & 7 deal with still births.

Section 7 sub-section 4 of the Act.
(4) The registrar upon registering a still-birth shall, if so required, give, either to the person giving information concerning the still-birth or to the person who has control over or who ordinarily buries bodies in a burial ground in which it is intended to bury the still-born child, a certificate under his hand in the prescribed form that he has registered the still-birth, but may, on receiving written notice of a still-birth accompanied by a certificate given by a registered medical practitioner or certified midwife under the foregoing provisions of this section, before registering the still-birth give to the person sending the notice a certificate that he has received notice of a still-birth, and any certificate given under this subsection shall be given without fee.

Stan

[seahall]

Hi.

I have information about still born children in dedicated Still Born registers
from 1889 for one Cemetery.

Sandy

[stanmapstone]

The 1874 Registration of Births and Deaths Act [37 & 38 Vict. Ch. 88]
Section 18; Burial of Deceased Children as Still-born.
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1874/pdf/ukpga_18740088_en.pdf


18. A person shall not wilfully bury or procure to be buried the body of any deceased child as if it were still-born.
A person who has control over or ordinarily buries bodies in any burial ground shall not permit to be buried in such burial ground the body of any deceased child as if it were still-born, and shall not permit to be buried or bury in such burial ground any still-born child before there is delivered to him either,-
(a.) A written certificate that such child was not born alive, signed by a registered medical practitioner who was in attendance at the birth or has examined the body of such child ; or
(b.) A declaration signed by some person who would, if the child had been born alive, have been required by this Act to give information concerning the birth, to the effect that no registered medical practitioner was present at the birth, or that his certificate cannot be obtained, and that the child was not born alive ; or
(c.) If there has been an inquest, an order of the coroner.
Any person who acts in contravention of this section shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding ten pounds.

Stan

[seahall]

Thanks for that Stan.

Most in-formative.

In the registers it did say Doctor's certificate or declaration.

Obviously there are a lot of children who were missing off the census
years and never known maybe to have been born to the parents at all.

Until the 1911 of course.

Sandy

[Guy Etchells]

I am at present compiling The Historic Stillbirth Register (covering the years 1551 and to 2005). I would appreciate any help with, or leads to stillbirth records that anyone has.
Cheers
Guy

[BourneGooner]

Thanks Stan and Sandy for the very comprehensive answer.

Guy, I was using the https://www.deceasedonline.com/ website and looking through the records for Newark Cemetery in Nottinghamshire and there are some listings for S B C's. Type in a surname and S B C for first name and I came up with 12 listings for Brown, 3 for Chambers and 2 for Asman, hope there of some interest to you.

BourneGooner

[croxia]

Could someone clarify for me as to what gestational age is a baby defined as a still birth, therefore requiring registration?

Thank you.