S.H.V Birthplace???

[Ruskie]

barryd, it is interesting to hear about your grandmother's 1901 short b/c. I had a quick look online but  couldn't find anything obvious. 

[MaxD]

While I can't provide absolute proof, my belief is I am in no doubt that the SH referred to Somerset House which was at the time the site of the General Register Office responsible for issuing birth certificates etc.

It is highly likely that the third element was the individual clerk's invention indicating that a version of the birth cert had been seen.  As Gaffy has posted, no place of birth was recorded on a certificate of registration but it would serve as existence of the child.  The example S H Cte would seem to be the most sensible.  While the certificate of registration was issued locally, it was under the authority of Somerset House wherever it was issued.

As to putting it in the place of birth column, there wasn't another column to put it in and it does at least indicate that evidence of the birth had been seen.

MaxD

[stanmapstone]

barryd, it is interesting to hear about your grandmother's 1901 short b/c. I had a quick look online but  couldn't find anything obvious. 

Section 30 of the 1874 Act stated that a registrar shall, upon demand made at the time of registering any birth by the person giving the information concerning the birth, and upon payment of a fee not exceeding three pence, give to such person a certificate under his hand, in the prescribed form, of having registered that birth. I assume that this was the Short Birth Certificate, as the Ordinary Certificate was 2s. 6d. as required by the 1836 Act.
You can see an example of a short certificate dated 1936 at http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=634529.msg4820875#msg4820875
See http://anguline.co.uk/cert/SAB.jpg for a copy of an 1884 short certificate
Stan

[MaxD]

I have amended my earlier post.  I have no doubt that SH is Somerset House.  Indeed, those of us who can remember black and white television never used the term GRO, it was always Somerset House in connection with that sort of record.

To attempt to translate the V in the start of this thread is a waste of effort.  It is clear from the examples that SH is common to all but the clerk put something else that took his fancy at the end with SH Certificate being the most sensible.  The place of birth was not the important element, it was the fact of the birth that counted.

MaxD

[Mart 'n' Al]

My father never had to show his birth certificate prior to starting national service in the late 1940s. I know he never saw it until 1985.

Martin

[Karen McDonald]

To attempt to translate the V in the start of this thread is a waste of effort.  It is clear from the examples that SH is common to all but the clerk put something else that took his fancy at the end with SH Certificate being the most sensible.  The place of birth was not the important element, it was the fact of the birth that counted.

MaxD

Maybe the "V" was for verified or validated?
Perhaps it was possible for the clerks to obtain confirmation from Somerset House without having to actually see the certificates themselves.
Just an idea...

Karen

[isobelw]

Karen beat me to it! My thought was ‘verified’ as well.
Isobel

[MaxD]

Both perfectly sensible suggestions although I doubt that in those far off days when communications were nowhere near as quick as they are now, it would have been the task of the clerks processing the thousands of men signing up to sort out getting the proof, that would surely be up to the man.

However, opinions are like ar (deleted) everyone is entitled to one.

MaxD

[Gadget]

Just to say that I agree with MaxD - SH = Somerset House.
I remember when my sister and I started to do our family history in the 1950s, someone told us that we'd have to go to Somerset House to get the relevant certificates. My sister later went there when she moved to London in 1959.

Somerset House Verified or Validated seems the best interpretation 

Gadget