Genealogy Chat

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Faced with the prospect of getting 19 birth certs in order to find MY man, I am considering asking for a GRO search. Because I am paranoid, though, how do I know A - If they've looked properly B - Not to order, some time in the future, a record which they have dismissed? In other words, should I send them my list of 19 possibilities - indeed, will they take any notice and will they 'cross them off' for me? Interested to hear if you have had a GRO search. Was it successful? Was it unsuccessful and did you later find the right one yourself? Marjorie

Hi Marjorie, why pay for 19 certs, do not know what you have done so far to find your man but I wrote to the local registrar of the area where my ancestor was born and gave 5 possible births and who the father was which was all I had from the marriage certificate and they returned my cheque and said none of the details I gave had Daniel as a father. Cost me nothing and did help me eliminant some of the births. Could you not do anything similar. Good Luck Irene

What are the names and years, what other information do you have maybe we can help. Irene

Marjorie I think the GRO will only search for a period of 3 consecutive years. I don't think they will go on the 19 you give them, but just search for 3 years that you specify. Have you any way of narrowing down these 19 options - info they can check on the cert? Do you have an exact year/definite idea which registration district/parents' names, including mother's maiden name to help identify the correct one? nell

Thankyou everyone for your replies and your interest. My man, Joseph Holden, consistently gives a birth year of 1855 on 1861,71,81 census.Also consistently gives birth place as Manchester, however, I have been caught like that before, so I am covering Lancs first and then at some future date, out of County. I have used the CRI (on Ancestry, the free bit) and come up with 19 possibilities, born from 1854 to end 1856. I compared these with Lancsbmd and was able to identify two, asked for these from the local RO, who said 'Father not James Holden'.Greater Manchester Register Office is no longer issuing certs for Family History purposes (well, not on line, anyway) and directed me to Southport for future enquiries.I have five in the pipe-line with Blackburn RO, who have previously been very helpful and charged NOWT! I managed to find another two, who had unusual middle names, obligingly still living at home with Mum and Dad in 1881, so knocked them off as well. Comparing everything else, that is: GRO against Lancsbmd against 1881 census against IGI, its just too woolly to draw any conclusions. For example, I found a Joseph Holden on the IGI, parents John and Mary, so not my man - but I cannot identify which GRO registration he corresponds with. There are several like that. I have requested three certs so far from GRO, one is wrong, the other two have father James so are possibles (but seem unlikely to me). As I do not know what his mother's name was - indeed, that is why I am trying to find this BC - I will have to track these two forwards in the hope of eliminating them. I am also investigating the (unlikely) possibility that he was Registered as Joshua - my late father said he was called Josh - but all census etc give him as Joseph. I cannot move forward (well, backwards I mean) until I know the name of Joseph's mother, James first wife. I am hoping that their marriage cert will give me some clues - James fell to earth at the age of 26, a fully-formed adult!!!! Marjorie