New blog post, 'Born sleeping' is out now. Read it below.
#Genealogy #CivilRegistration
danielloftus.substack.com/p/born-sleep...
#Genealogy #CivilRegistration
danielloftus.substack.com/p/born-sleep...
Born sleeping
A much needed change
danielloftus.substack.com
December 11, 2024 at 11:21 PM
New blog post, 'Born sleeping' is out now. Read it below.
#Genealogy #CivilRegistration
danielloftus.substack.com/p/born-sleep...
#Genealogy #CivilRegistration
danielloftus.substack.com/p/born-sleep...
It's day #11 of my 2024 #BlogventCalendar and today I'm sharing a video that forms part of a campaign that the late Audrey Collins and myself launched aiming to debunk the myth that it wasn't compulsory to register births in England and Wales before 1875.
Yes it was!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM46...
Yes it was!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM46...
Setting The Record Straight: Episode 10 - 1874 And All That...
YouTube video by Lifelines Research
www.youtube.com
December 11, 2024 at 2:55 PM
FreeBMD is a wonderful resource, but they do need to stop saying that things are a "late entry" when in almost every case they are actually re-registrations and there is another, often vital, entry to find - causes so much confusion (and incorrect research)
#Genealogy #CivilRegistration
#RantOver
#Genealogy #CivilRegistration
#RantOver
May 26, 2025 at 1:48 PM
FreeBMD is a wonderful resource, but they do need to stop saying that things are a "late entry" when in almost every case they are actually re-registrations and there is another, often vital, entry to find - causes so much confusion (and incorrect research)
#Genealogy #CivilRegistration
#RantOver
#Genealogy #CivilRegistration
#RantOver
And there are circumstances in which the non-biological father of a child can correctly, and legally, be recorded as the father on a birth register entry ....so it can be complicated.
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
January 10, 2025 at 2:06 PM
And there are circumstances in which the non-biological father of a child can correctly, and legally, be recorded as the father on a birth register entry ....so it can be complicated.
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
On Mon 18th Nov I will be stepping briefly out of retirement to talk to the AGRA Midlands Network Group all about death certificates and the registration of deaths (in England/Wales)
#Genealogy
#FamilyHistory
#CivilRegistration
#Genealogy
#FamilyHistory
#CivilRegistration
November 8, 2024 at 10:46 AM
On Mon 18th Nov I will be stepping briefly out of retirement to talk to the AGRA Midlands Network Group all about death certificates and the registration of deaths (in England/Wales)
#Genealogy
#FamilyHistory
#CivilRegistration
#Genealogy
#FamilyHistory
#CivilRegistration
I get to page 237 of a murder mystery novel to find the whole plot revolves around a #BirthCertificate, but it is clear the author has no idea about how #CivilRegistration works, or what info could, or couldn't, be on there and they got it within 10mins, online from the County Archive ?
#Genealogy
#Genealogy
November 3, 2025 at 9:23 AM
I get to page 237 of a murder mystery novel to find the whole plot revolves around a #BirthCertificate, but it is clear the author has no idea about how #CivilRegistration works, or what info could, or couldn't, be on there and they got it within 10mins, online from the County Archive ?
#Genealogy
#Genealogy
Or maybe because registration of Births and Deaths is dealt with together in law, whilst Marriage is governed by a completely different legislative structure...
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
February 11, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Or maybe because registration of Births and Deaths is dealt with together in law, whilst Marriage is governed by a completely different legislative structure...
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
Correct (for registration purposes, in England/Wales) an unmarried woman has no maiden name which is why the GRO on-line index now correctly shows a " - " in the index when no maiden name is shown on the register entry.
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
November 21, 2024 at 10:31 AM
Correct (for registration purposes, in England/Wales) an unmarried woman has no maiden name which is why the GRO on-line index now correctly shows a " - " in the index when no maiden name is shown on the register entry.
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
Caused by a few registrars, at the beginning of registration, recording mothers with the first name repeated, so "Hannah HUNT formerly Hannah COLEMAN" using one of those on your list as an example.
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
February 4, 2026 at 10:25 AM
Caused by a few registrars, at the beginning of registration, recording mothers with the first name repeated, so "Hannah HUNT formerly Hannah COLEMAN" using one of those on your list as an example.
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
And then #GRO telling the transcribers involved in the creation of the new online index that whatever comes after "formerly" is the mothers maiden name.....
#genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#genealogy
#CivilRegistration
February 4, 2026 at 11:18 AM
And then #GRO telling the transcribers involved in the creation of the new online index that whatever comes after "formerly" is the mothers maiden name.....
#genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#genealogy
#CivilRegistration
It's all just fashion. As a registrar it was common for a couple to be excited to tell you the "really unusual" name they'd chosen for their baby - but you knew you'd registered three with the same name already that day !
#Genealogy
##CivilRegistration
#Genealogy
##CivilRegistration
July 10, 2026 at 8:06 AM
It's all just fashion. As a registrar it was common for a couple to be excited to tell you the "really unusual" name they'd chosen for their baby - but you knew you'd registered three with the same name already that day !
#Genealogy
##CivilRegistration
#Genealogy
##CivilRegistration
It's a numbered correction, - he wrote "Boy" in the wrong column and crossed it out. The 29 means it was the 29th such correction in that register. There will be a marginal note too, but that won't be visible on a digital image ( it would be on pdf or paper copy).
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
September 26, 2025 at 9:48 AM
It's a numbered correction, - he wrote "Boy" in the wrong column and crossed it out. The 29 means it was the 29th such correction in that register. There will be a marginal note too, but that won't be visible on a digital image ( it would be on pdf or paper copy).
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
I keep seeing "advice" given that says a dash for the maiden name on the GRO on-line birth index means there is no father named on the entry.
NO, it means there is no maiden name recorded for the mother, no more, no less. A father's details could be there ..
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#GetItRight
NO, it means there is no maiden name recorded for the mother, no more, no less. A father's details could be there ..
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#GetItRight
July 25, 2026 at 10:53 AM
I keep seeing "advice" given that says a dash for the maiden name on the GRO on-line birth index means there is no father named on the entry.
NO, it means there is no maiden name recorded for the mother, no more, no less. A father's details could be there ..
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#GetItRight
NO, it means there is no maiden name recorded for the mother, no more, no less. A father's details could be there ..
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#GetItRight
An excellent piece - but you may want to mention that the digital images do not always contain all the information that a pdf or paper certificate would - they don't show marginal notes, which if present can be very important indeed.
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
November 23, 2024 at 10:02 AM
An excellent piece - but you may want to mention that the digital images do not always contain all the information that a pdf or paper certificate would - they don't show marginal notes, which if present can be very important indeed.
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
My 5xG Grandmother managed to live just long enough for her death in Sep 1837 to be registered - but the registrar didn't record her husband's name (he died earlier that year). I'm sure it's her, but it would have been nice to have confirmation.
#frustrating
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#frustrating
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
March 25, 2026 at 10:39 AM
My 5xG Grandmother managed to live just long enough for her death in Sep 1837 to be registered - but the registrar didn't record her husband's name (he died earlier that year). I'm sure it's her, but it would have been nice to have confirmation.
#frustrating
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#frustrating
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
The opposite also applies - a maiden name being shown doesn't mean there is always a father named too. It just means that the mother is, or has been, a married woman. Father's column could well be blank.
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#GetItRight
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#GetItRight
July 25, 2026 at 10:58 AM
The opposite also applies - a maiden name being shown doesn't mean there is always a father named too. It just means that the mother is, or has been, a married woman. Father's column could well be blank.
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#GetItRight
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#GetItRight
There was no age restriction for informants in any of the B&D legislation in E/W, and still isn't - just that the registrar is satisfied that they are qualified, and able, to give the required info. I would expect the rules in Ireland at that time to be much the same ?
#Genealogy #CivilRegistration
#Genealogy #CivilRegistration
July 9, 2025 at 9:46 AM
There was no age restriction for informants in any of the B&D legislation in E/W, and still isn't - just that the registrar is satisfied that they are qualified, and able, to give the required info. I would expect the rules in Ireland at that time to be much the same ?
#Genealogy #CivilRegistration
#Genealogy #CivilRegistration
I was often asked why registrars use special ink, in a fountain pen, to sign register entries - was it really necessary ?
Here's why - this is a document from only 14 years ago signed by the Met Police Commissioner - signature almost gone already.
@mpsheritage.bsky.social
#CivilRegistration
Here's why - this is a document from only 14 years ago signed by the Met Police Commissioner - signature almost gone already.
@mpsheritage.bsky.social
#CivilRegistration
July 10, 2026 at 9:21 AM
I was often asked why registrars use special ink, in a fountain pen, to sign register entries - was it really necessary ?
Here's why - this is a document from only 14 years ago signed by the Met Police Commissioner - signature almost gone already.
@mpsheritage.bsky.social
#CivilRegistration
Here's why - this is a document from only 14 years ago signed by the Met Police Commissioner - signature almost gone already.
@mpsheritage.bsky.social
#CivilRegistration
In E/W the registrar is always notified of the burial/cremation after it has taken place, confirming where/when it happened, but those records are not kept for long. #Genealogy #CivilRegistration
December 7, 2024 at 12:14 PM
In E/W the registrar is always notified of the burial/cremation after it has taken place, confirming where/when it happened, but those records are not kept for long. #Genealogy #CivilRegistration
The definition in the article isn't correct, at least for registration purposes...
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
June 9, 2025 at 1:48 PM
The definition in the article isn't correct, at least for registration purposes...
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
There’s a new version of FreeBMD, (FreeBMD2), for free access to England & Wales civil registration index info. The original version will continue to be updated & available for the forseeable future. More about the changes below
#FamilyHistory #CivilRegistration www.freebmd2.org.uk/help/about_new
#FamilyHistory #CivilRegistration www.freebmd2.org.uk/help/about_new
Introducing the new FreeBMD website | FreeBMD
FreeBMD provides free on-line access to the GRO indexes of births, marriages and deaths for England and Wales.
www.freebmd2.org.uk
October 23, 2025 at 8:34 PM
There’s a new version of FreeBMD, (FreeBMD2), for free access to England & Wales civil registration index info. The original version will continue to be updated & available for the forseeable future. More about the changes below
#FamilyHistory #CivilRegistration www.freebmd2.org.uk/help/about_new
#FamilyHistory #CivilRegistration www.freebmd2.org.uk/help/about_new
There will have been an alignment issue reported for it, or for another on the same page, and so the image option (for the whole page) has been removed. I hope such pages will get rescanned at some time in the future, but you can only order as a pdf/paper copy for now.
#Genealogy #CivilRegistration
#Genealogy #CivilRegistration
March 6, 2025 at 1:14 PM
There will have been an alignment issue reported for it, or for another on the same page, and so the image option (for the whole page) has been removed. I hope such pages will get rescanned at some time in the future, but you can only order as a pdf/paper copy for now.
#Genealogy #CivilRegistration
#Genealogy #CivilRegistration
#Genealogy #FamilyHistory #CivilRegistration Scottish false registration question: what happened to false registrations when they were discovered - did the Register of Corrected Entries 'cancel' them or was/is there another mechanism? I've come across two from 1879.
February 4, 2025 at 11:09 AM
#Genealogy #FamilyHistory #CivilRegistration Scottish false registration question: what happened to false registrations when they were discovered - did the Register of Corrected Entries 'cancel' them or was/is there another mechanism? I've come across two from 1879.
Although the change has to be done with a marginal note, the registrar general could direct that the note not be shown on any certificates produced ( unusual, but possible ....)
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
November 21, 2024 at 10:53 AM
Although the change has to be done with a marginal note, the registrar general could direct that the note not be shown on any certificates produced ( unusual, but possible ....)
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
#Genealogy
#CivilRegistration
