Genealogy Chat

freebmd list records by the last month of the Qtr, and is the easiest site to use for BMD's between 1837 and approx 1955

I don't know what GR do - I never use this site for research.

Ken is correct before 1875 it was the registrar who had the responcibility of seeking out births to register, The 75 act made it the responiblity of the parents to register the birth,

further info

Birth Certificates: During the early years of registration many births were not registered because it was not compulsory and there was no penalty for failure to comply. This was especially true for children of illegitimate birth. In 1875, it became compulsory. There was a six week (42 days) time limit in which to register a birth. After six weeks and up to six months the birth could be registered on payment of a fine. After that time, with very few exceptions, a birth could not be registered. It was fairly common for parents to adjust the birth date to within 42 days. Also, as part of the 1875 changes, a mother, when reporting an illegitimate birth, could not name the father; he had to be present and consent to his name being entered.

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LIN/civilreg.html

Roy

When searching the transcription on GR the quarters used to be listed as JFM, AMJ, JAS and OND. I thought that was easier to use. In the first instance you now have to try and work out what number corresponds to the quarter you are considering. And the GRO don't number the quarters in this way. When ordering a certificate you have to click on the correct quarter from the list:
Jan, Feb, March
Apr, May, June
July, Aug, Sept
Oct, Nov, Dec
Having the quarters numbered just confuses matters

Actually it was compulsory for births to be registered from 1837. The change in 1875 was to who was responsible for the registration.

Prior to 1875 it was the registrars who were responsible and since they made their living from registrations they were usually quite good at finding out about births. It was an offence to refuse to supply details to the registrar.

The 1874 act which came into force in 1875 made little difference to the number of births being registered and in fact the number registered in 1875 was lower than in the previous year (see freeBMD for totals).

As you are considering a Nov-Dec birth, then you may need to look in the Jan-Mar quarter of the following year. There was a 6 weeks allowance before a birth needed to be registered.

It wasn't compulsory for births to be registered until the mid 1870's. Some families didn't bother. Civil registration in England and Wales didn't begin until Jul 1837, the first records being listed from the beginning of September of that year. Any BMD before then might be found on Parish Records.

A birth is entered onto the index in the year and quarter that the event was registered, NOT in the quarter that the birth occured.

Some births that were registered late can be found severl years after the date of birth

Roy

hi roy

thanks for all your help

regards

Born and registered are two different things, you have 6 weeks to register a birth so anyone born in the middle of novermber (could) be registered in January the next year so that birth would be registered in the March quarter

Roy

hi roy
thanks for reply so if somebody was born nov/dec time would that event quarter 4?

It means it was registered in the first "March" quarter of that year

2nd quarter June

3rd quarter Sept

4th quarter Dec

Roy

hi
i have found a record of birth and it says event quarter 1 when does this mean?
many thanks :-)