Informant has wrong initial on birth certificate?

[mulberry-rose]

Hello,

I’ve just located a birth certificate of a family member but am a bit puzzled. In the informant section it lists the father as the one who registered the in this format [e.g. M. Smith - father].

However the initial provided does not match the father’s actual name [e.g. A M Smith]. He does have a middle name that matches this initial (M), but he did not go by this name/the middle name is rather a honour surname (e.g. Mason). A’s father was an M Smith, so I thought it could’ve been him who registered as the grandfather and mistaken as father, but I found out he died before this birth occurred.

The certificate is handwritten. I don’t know if it could be a misspelling. Has anyone seen this issue before?

Sorry if this the wording is confusing. I’ve used fake names as the family member is still living.

[CaroleW]

Would suggest contacting the GRO & asking if the copy you have replicates the original entry.

[Ayashi]

I have a death certificate where someone made a whoops copying it and the initials do not match anyone in the family. The correct initials were then scribbled over the top!

[AntonyMMM]

(in E/W) Before 1969 the informant column only shows how the informant signed the entry, and not their full name. On the quarterly returns sent to GRO the signatures would be written by the registrar in the same form the informant used, but not by trying to copy it exactly.

Certainly today the registrar would always check what the signature actually says (or is supposed to) so that it can be reproduced on certificates. Many are just a squiggle.

So either that is how the entry was signed, or there was an error made in copying it along the line. You could check by ordering a certificate from the registration office who hold the original register ( not GRO)

[Nanna52]

Yes.  The informant on my father’s birth certificate was his aunt, but it was written as sister, then a line put through and aunt written.  As she would have been close to forty at the time it would have been a big gap between siblings  . She was the sister of my grandmother.

[ALAMO2008]

I have a Birth Registration showing Birth Date the Boy's Birth Two months After his Baptism
Another Shows the Father's Name as Deceased  - which was Correct - but he Died 8 years before the Birth
Another Shows the Informant Mother wanted Baby Boy Registration as Luke Oil Crawford
The Registrar obviously didn't believe what she was saying - so got her to sign her X as proof
The Husband wanted his new Son to include his Mother's Maiden Name like his - Luke Hoyle Crawford
Examples that Records are Not a Record of the Truth-
 they are a Record of What People "Said"
which may not be the Truth
Stop looking for 100% accuracy in Research