Inaccuracies on recent GRO death index

[frances-b]

The recently added death records from 1984 onwards do not show the age at death (as the earlier records) but show the year of birth instead.

I found an error in the YOB for my mother’s cousin who died in 2014.  This is shown as 1917 when she was in fact born in 1935 – correct in the GRO birth records and in my own family’s records.

I reported this as an error to GRO which they have investigated.  The status is “No amendment required” and the comments state “Indexed data not available”.

I suppose it’s possible that her birth was wrongly recorded when the death was registered although she was living with her older sister (b 1921), who would certainly have known the right YOB. 

I’ve never had a problem in correcting earlier GRO records but this response has stumped me.  Has anyone else come across anything similar with the later death records and/or know why the indexed data is not available?

[BumbleB]

Apologies, but the information given on death is only as good as the informant's knowledge.  Have you obtained a copy of the death certificate to see what was actually recorded?

[frances-b]

Apologies, but the information given on death is only as good as the informant's knowledge.

The informant was her sister, who she was living with until she died, and who was the one that also told me.  Yes, I could get a copy of the death cert but because I know when she was born and when she died I don't need one for fh purposes. 

What bothers me more is the "indexed data not available" comment.  Does this mean that data from the Registrar is fed directly into the GRO index and that there are no other checks to ensure it has transferred correctly (and therefore nothing to check queries against)? 

[Girl Guide]

Have you contacted the GRO to ask them to explain why they came back with No amendment required and Indexed data not available?

I would regard their response as unhelpful and makes you wonder what they know that you don't.

[Rosinish]

Why not give the sis a call & ask her if she has a copy of the cert. & could she give you the info. on it as you've found an error on the GRO System you'd like corrected?

Annie

[arthurk]

I'm not sure whether the same procedure applies to the more recent computerised data, but previously, when errors were found in the GRO indexes, they had to be corrected through the local register office, since they were the source of the original records.

I think in this case I would contact the local office that handled the death registration and ask them for advice. If they did make a mistake, then it should be possible for them to organise a correction.

But as Annie says, knowing what's on the certificate given at registration would also be helpful, since it ought to show what was typed into the system on the day.

[frances-b]

Thanks for the responses people.

The sister is now 98 – it’s not something I want to bother her with (it would be easier to buy the cert).

I’ve always reported errors in the GRO index via their website – all bar one have been corrected once they have checked back with the original.  Most have been down to mistranscription of hand-written “originals”, ie the returns made by the Register Offices, or misunderstanding of female-line surnames used as forenames, confusing the mmn entry.  I’ve not queried a date (or age) before (or a post 1984 death entry, come to that).

Contacting the office that did the registration could be the way to go . . .

[AntonyMMM]

For such recent deaths, the  information entered onto computer by the local office is what GRO also see so the information should always match what is on the register entry. But there are scenarios I can imagine  e.g.  a problem with the registration computer system, RON, on that day (which isn't that uncommon) meaning the entry was done on paper and later transferred into the system with an error, but changing 1935 to 1917 isn't an obvious mistype.

It might be a coincidence that she was 79, but the error makes her 97 which does suggest maybe a transposition of those numbers at some point perhaps when her year of birth was being worked out -  the age is not recorded on the entry, it is now done as the date/year of birth.

The GRO index will only be updated if it doesn't match the register entry, not just because you know the entry itself is wrong, so the first thing to do is to get a certificate to see what that says so you know where the error may have occurred.

If the registration itself needs correcting, you will have to make an application to the Supt. Registrar who holds the register for a formal correction. As the year of birth is more than one year out, I think it will be a "complex clerical error" which requires the Registrar General to give authority for the change.

[frances-b]

Thanks AntonyMMM, that makes perfect sense – I hadn’t spotted the 79/97 link which does indicate an input error somewhere along the line.

I have contacted the Register Office concerned to see if they can shed any light on this.