General Chat

I have been asked by a family member about a possible still birth....I believe that it would it only have been registered IF the child had breathed, otherwise not.....

I believe that is correct.

That said I've seen burials in some parish registers that have stated that the baby was still born.

the mother is no longer with us but a sibling is asking the question...and believes it went to a burial.....

A Still Birth Register began on July 1 1927 in England, but as far as I know it is not available to the general public.

Since the act came in re registering a still birth, there are requirements.

This is from the GRO site ................

A stillbirth should be registered within 42 days.

Sometimes a stillbirth can be registered after 42 days - the register office can explain when this can happen. You can name the baby in the register.

Contact a register office to register the stillbirth.

In Scotland you must register a stillbirth within 21 days. In Northern Ireland you have up to 1 year to register a stillbirth.
Who can register the stillbirth

If the baby’s parents are married or in a civil partnership, either the mother or father can register.


Before that, a baby was declared still born if it took less than 2 or 3 breaths after birth. Many midwives or even doctors would declare that a baby had taken those breaths and then died. Back in the day, they or someone in the room where the baby was born would then do an emergency baptism (allowed by CofE regulations) so that the baby could be buried in the churchyard, otherwise there was usually no record because an unbaptised person could not be buried in a sanctified place.

The stillbirth register started 1927

A sibling or next of kin can request the info

It’s on the gro site

www.gro.gov.uk

thanks for your input ladies, Its most welcome...and gratefully recieved