Genealogy Chat

I don't know how to do it, I'm helping a friend to find his half sister born 1969 and on GRO it is asking for full DOB which of course he doesn't know, so is there another way it can be done please?

It is because it is within the last 50 years (because of identity fraud). I'm not certain but if he knows the full names of both parents then the GRO MAY be willing to send the certificate if he phones and explains the situation. I'm happy to be corrected if I'm wrong about this.

Kath. x

If the full names of both parents can be supplied, the GRO MAY stretch a point and supply the cert..............

BUT.............'finding' the girl doesn't require his having her birth cert.

The name is all he needs to start trying to trace her

Thank you both, the trouble is the parents weren't married, so he needs the cert to be sure it is her, all he does know is the Mothers name and her approx year of birth and the town where she (the half sister) was born.

Are you trying to order the cert online from GRO using the reference number? Try ordering without it - there used to be a loophole allowing this without DOB, with luck this is still the case!
At some point it asks if you have the ref, just click 'no' and go from there - worth a try.
jan

tried it and i can't do it without the info that they want and haven't got :-(

Well, as I PM'd you, I have never tried this myself. However, the advice I was given some while back was:

' birth certs: you can order these by not quoting the GRO ref and giving an approx year and parents names'.

Have you tried that?

Jan

I have Jan, and it is all red asterisk i.e. names and places, me thinks we will have to go to the local office, it isn't far, so fingers crossed.

Just one more possibility! Has he tried looking in the local papers to see if there was a birth notice? You never know!
Also - is the name distinctive at all? I am sure you have thought of this, but might be worth checking for a marriage for this person - if she is his half-sister you would have to do so anyway if he is trying to track her down.
Good luck.
Jan

I seem to remember adding 'unknown' into the parents boxes and the certificate came through..........but I have slept since then and may have dreamed this up!

Worth a go

All Register Offices including the GRO are legally bound to issue a cert provided you have provided sufficient information to enable them to identify it correctly.

However, GRO has a policy in place where full identifying information is requested for applications where the event occurred in the last 50 years. You will be prompted to supply this information when you order online and in the case of births, will be asked for the forename and surname recorded in the entry, the date and place of birth, father’s full name (if shown in the entry) and mother’s maiden name (if applicable).

If you can provide most of the information and the cert can be identified, from what you have given, then the cert may be issued, at their discretion. Why not phone them and ask?

Local RO's may well adopt similar policies, but again, ring them up and ask.

As her parents were not married at the time of this birth there is also the possibility of the father not being named on the certificate.

Is the birth registered in the MMN?

If so, the father's name isn't on the cert

BTW.........how does this man know that he has a half-sister?

Probably a silly question but if he did get the cert would it give any indication of adoption?