Genealogy Chat

Please help I'm still quite a novice and have already come unstuck. I sent for the birth certificate for Margaret Moxon registered in the Jun quarter in 1926. The GRO has contacted me with the following info: Dear Mrs Torley Birth Certificate : Margaret Moxon 1926/June/Barnsley/9c/467a We have been unable to issue a certificate because the reference you found in the indexes is incorrect. This is due to an error which was made when the indexes were compiled. Does this mean I won't be able to get a birth certificate for her at all? Would my local records office hold more information or even a copy of the birth certificate just for viewing purposes? The thing is she was registered in the same quarter as my Uncle (Matthew Moxon), in the same location and with mother's having the same (not so common) surname. We are trying to work out whether we should eliminate her from our family tree or research her further and thought the birth certificate would give us all the answers we needed. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Melanie

I would think that the local register office should be able to supply a certificate. Kath. x

However, the local registration office won't use the same reference numbers as GRO. Ozi.

If they messed up the reference then the district could also be out. I can't check Ancestry right now to see what it says. Are you saying that Margaret and Matthew have the same reference of Barnsley/9c/467a? It could be Matthew's reference got copied onto Margaret's when it was compiled. Rose

As she was born in Barnsley, you can try the site Yorkshirebmd which will give you the local registry office and their unique reference number to order from them. Also, if you specify the parents' names and it is the wrong person, they write and tell you and return your cheque or cancel your credit card payment. You must include a stamped addressed envelope and if ordering more than one certificate send a separate cheque for each so they can send back any for incorrect references. Hope this helps. Margaret

Thank you for all your help. The GRO did refund my £7.00. It looks like my best bet may be a trip to the local records office to see what I can find there. Thank you again Melanie

Portland Rose, Margaret is typed in the main index as having 9c 467a (the a has been added in pen) Right at the bottom of the page added in pen is my uncle Matthew Moxon and his reference is 9c see D43 I can email you a copy of my search if that helps Kind regards Melanie

Hi Melanie, I can see it now. Not sure what see D'43 means where the volume number should be. Is there a history of twins on the Wollerton side? Rose

Is this the marriage? Marriages Mar 1906 MOXON James Barnsley 9c 205 WOLLERTON Lucy Barnsley 9c 205 Twins are more likely the older the woman is. Lucy would have been 41 then so it fits in. Rose

D 43 See December Quarter 1943 There was an amendment....Possibly under the Legitimacy Act of 15 December 1926 Chris

Chris, You're right. He's there in Dec 1943 too. Rose

Hi Melanie You can send off to the GRO for the cert even if you don't have a ref number - I sent off £7 for a birth cert of my grandfather and all I knew was that he was born in July 1884 in Camberwell. The GRO searched 18 months each side of the date for me. It took a bit longer and they did not find the cert - so I'm still looking - but the point is that if you don't have the number or the dob it doesn't matter. Write to them - say something along the lines of - 'I'd like the birth cert of this lady who was born in xxxx year - somewhere near this County/Town etc - I don't know her dob and I do not have the correct ref no, (because the number in the index is incorrect) but here's £7 and thank you very much' Then sit back and wait for probably 3 weeks. Cannot understand why they didn't offer to look it up that way for you anyway! Jill

Melanie This is just a thought and I may be way of the mark...... Could Matthew have been originaly registered as Margaret and then later re registered as Matthew......Given the timescale I would think Matthew would have done this himself rather than his parents. I can think of at least two scenarios where this could happen. Chris

Thank you all so much for your help, the plot seems to be thickening all the time! When we started this research we didn't think we would come across anything quite like this! Kind regards Melanie

We are heading to the local records office in the next few days, I will keep you posted on my findings! Thanks for all your help. Kind regards Melanie