GRO Southport

[thebounder]

During a visit to the UK in the summer, I plan to visit the GRO at Southport to check on recent BMDs not available online.  Can anyone tell me if they allow cameras to be used to record data, or, even better, if they allow you to download data to a memory stick ?

I have tried sending them an email but, despite including GQ in the subject line as requested, I just get a standard reply informing me of their opening times.  Telephoning them is no use either, I just get the engaged tone.

[andycand]

Hi

Do you mean the more recent GRO Indexes? If so they are available at several libraries in England but I'm not sure whether the GRO itself is one.

Andy

[stanmapstone]

I don't think you will be able to visit the GRO at Southport to check on recent BMD. For any date after 2006 INDEXES are available at
Birmingham Central Library
Bridgend Reference and Information Library
The British Library
City of Westminster Archives Centre
Newcastle City Library
Manchester City Library
Plymouth Central Library
Certain Local Authorities have later indexes on line.

Stan

[california dreamin]

Hi Bounder,
No, I don't think you can go to the GRO in Southport either.  I would select one of the libraries Stan mentioned and pay a visit.  If you go to the British Library I think you'll have to register first.

Good luck
CD

[KGarrad]

Just be aware that it's only the Indexes you can see, not the data from certificates.

GRO are not permitted to divulge information from certificates - you have to buy a copy to see that!

[dawnsh]

If you can get to the British Library in London to view the "indexes", you can use your camera to take images from the microfiche without charge, the BL has recently relaxed its camera policy. The basic indexes though still don't contain the extra information that we want to see.

Westminster Archives do not allow you to photgraph the indexes which are less than 100 years old and do charge a camera licence fee.

As far as I'm aware the only general public access to the GRO at Southport is to collect pre-ordered certificates which have already been bought and paid for.

They do not give you access to the microfiche indexes.

If you're looking for recent deaths after 2007, Ancestry have the 1st quarter 2007 online and then partial information upto 2013 collected from other sources such as obituaries and grants of probates.

[thebounder]

Thanks for the information.  I will actually be staying in Southport for a few days, quite close to the GRO, and I thought it would be easy enough to just walk to it, and view the indexes.  I guess the nearest library would be Manchester, anybody know the camera policy there, I don't particularly want to spend all day there with my pencil and paper, if I can avoid it.  I have quite a few records to look up.

[stanmapstone]

  I guess the nearest library would be Manchester, anybody know the camera policy there,

See http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/448/archives_and_local_studies/522/contact_details_and_access_arrangements/3

Stan

[clairec666]

If you're looking for recent deaths after 2007, Ancestry have the 1st quarter 2007 online and then partial information upto 2013 collected from other sources such as obituaries and grants of probates.

I'm confused about Ancestry's 2007-2013 death index.... I think it's mis-named, it leads you to believe it's the same as the earlier indexes they hold. And it doesn't give much detail about where the information comes from. It says about 55% of the deaths from this period are covered... I've found quite a few relatives on it, but failed to find some who I know died around this time.