Copy of a Birth Certificate

[O'Reilly]

I am trying to get hold of my Grandmother's birth certificate. I know she was born in Hackney, London - but not sure of the year (I have ordered a death certificate which will give me her actual age) I don't think Somerset House exists now so where do I write to apply for a copy Birth certificate when I have more information?

I really wish I could find things online! I am aware of ancestry uk and tried that site using names of family that I know dates of birth/deaths etc., and none are showing on the records (I am talking up the year 1974 here) so I wish there was a very accurate online site where I could look up information before I asked for copies of documents.

[CheekyChops]

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates /

If you have the GRO refernence number, it will cost you �7. Depending when your Grandmother was born, you may find the GRO reference number on http://www.freeBMD.org.uk but if not, let us know her name and year of birth and I'm sure someone will look it up for you.

[jackthehat]

What was your grandmothers full name ?
What was her mothers maiden name ?

[CheekyChops]

Ancestry is accurate, the only probelm is that between c1920 and 1984, there is no index so you can't search on a name, it is a case of looking at each quarter of each year until you find what you want.

Prior to 1920, most events are covered by FreeBMD and after 1984, Ancestry has them indexed.

For example, I was born 1968 but putting my name and birth year in the search boxes won't bring up any results on Ancestry. I have to actually click on the link that goes to the Complete BMD Indexes, then choose Births, the search for my name in Q3 of 1968. I then get the whole page which contains my entry, and there I am!

[O'Reilly]

oh my! so much information in three posts and thank you cheeky chops and jack. I'm just realising how little I do know of the maternal side (like grandmothers mothers maiden name) as the only family history I have got is on the paternal side and went back to the Counts of Lombardy.

Back to my Grandmother. I have the date and volume and page - birth registered in hackney, London. Would Hackney registry office hold copies or would I have to apply somewhere else?

CheekyChops - I know the freeBMD page but interestingly it does not have records of my Grandparents deaths, my parents births or their deaths and I do know the date for my parents - both London born and died in hampshire and no record of their births or deaths (1920's to 1974 and 1992) so i don't think the freeBMD website is much to go by - according to them I have not been born either!

Now onto 192 com........I put in a name and find a death and click on the link and get "no records" yet the records tell me of a death and that death would be the one I have searched for, so how does 192 com work (apart from taking your paid credits and not letting you see the information that it says its got)

[CheekyChops]

FreeBMD only covers upto about 1920 at the moment, it is an ongoing project. That's why you can't find any of the things you mention. Can't speak for 192 website, I've never used that.

You can usually get certificates from local register offices although I believe that some of the London ones have stopped issuing them for family history purposes, I don't know if Hackney is one of those or not.

[jackthehat]

Hang on, I'm a bit confused...........
If you have the Name, date, and reference details what else is it that you are looking for ?

If you follow the first link that CheekyChops gave you can order the certificate purely using the information you already have.

The FreeBMD project is ongoing. Not all quarters in all areas in all years are yet transcribed. There are some records that are up to 1920 but my Grandfather born 1912 has only 'come on line' recently.

[JK2]

What was Somerset House is now The Family Records Centree in Islington - near Sadlers Wells. All births, marriages & deaths records are there and you can go along and do searches & then fill in forms to get hold of copies of anything. Have a look at this site

http://www.familyrecords.gov.uk/topics/bmd_3.h tm#englandwales