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Time of birth on certificates

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unsub

unsub Report 19 Apr 2008 09:51

I've just received my grandad's birth cert from 1906 and it has his time of birth noted.

Does this mean he was a twin or did some registrars note time of birth as a matter of course?

If he was a twin how do i find the other one? Is it as simple as just checking the page on freebmd for the births either side of his?

Thanks.

xx

Frazzled

Frazzled Report 19 Apr 2008 09:56

My great grandmother was a twin but her sister died at childbirth. The sister had the same birth registration as my grand mother.

Only realised she had a twin when I noticed the time of birth on my g grandmothers cert.

Shirley~I,m getting the hang of it

Shirley~I,m getting the hang of it Report 19 Apr 2008 09:59

well if he was a twin there would be another registration for the same surname on the same page or a page either way. To explain .there are only so many entry places for each page so when the last one has been added then the page will be turned over and the next page started. so twins could be on the end of one page & then the first entry on the next page.
Some registrar's were very precise though in their work and added the birth time to single births.

So both your reasonings are correct

Shirley

Researching:
Surname Fahse. Germany. Essex .South East London My avatar is one of our wedding photos of 1957

unsub

unsub Report 19 Apr 2008 10:02

Thanks Shirley and Frazzled. I'll go and have a look. I've never heard mention that he was a twin but then he died when i was really little and my mum doesn't remember much.

xx

unsub

unsub Report 19 Apr 2008 10:11

Yep, it really was simple. Found his twin right next to him on freebmd.

I just text my mum to tell her and she replied "oh yes, i knew that...i thought i'd told you"
ARRRGGHHHH!!!!

xx

Lorna

Lorna Report 19 Apr 2008 11:15

MOTHERS LOL

Kate

Kate Report 19 Apr 2008 11:40

Did some of the early registrars sometimes note times of birth even for single births? I only ask because I do have one birth certificate which I am sure has a time written on it and as far as I knew (unless they were the surviving twin and one was stillborn etc) this relative wasn't a twin.

But the time period I am on about is c. 1843, I think, so maybe some registrars were confused about what information to add.

Gwyn in Kent

Gwyn in Kent Report 19 Apr 2008 11:43

Kate
At that time in particular some registrars were keen to log all the information, even more than was officially required.I have seen that too.
It is worth checking for the other birth though.

Gwyn

Kate

Kate Report 21 Apr 2008 11:11

Just found your post, Gwyn - it was actually that which made me check whether there was a twin. I went to check the GRO index but there was only one baby of that name (Woodcock) born in the right quarter, and when I looked for my Woodcock's baptism, there was only one there too.

As I say, though, I suppose if my Ann Woodcock had been one of twins, and one had been stillborn, there would be no official register in 1843 (or would there?) to note a stillbirth, so maybe my Ann was recorded as if she was a twin even though she was the only living one? Maybe I'll never know.