A Suggestion - local Register Offices

[Gartag]

On a field trip to Derbyshire I spent acouple of days in the .. err  oh  either Bakewell or Matlock office.  They were extreamly helpful.  Most of their certs etc are on reels of film.   For 50p each you could get a token, take the film to a special reader and get a photocopy of the certificate or othjer entry.  Due to inexperience, and not wanting to pester, I wasted a few but was delighted to come away with copies of originals of 2 marriage certs, a birth cert and and 5 baptism entries for £5.

I believe the tokens went up to £1 a few years ago but even if they were £5 each now I think it well worth it.

However, back to the original question.  Is anyone compiling (or has compiled) a list of what each registry office offers and how helpful (or not) they are?

We have a number already posted above, are you game sloe?

[newburychap]

On a field trip to Derbyshire I spent acouple of days in the .. err  oh  either Bakewell or Matlock office.  They were extreamly helpful.  Most of their certs etc are on reels of film.   For 50p each you could get a token, take the film to a special reader and get a photocopy of the certificate or othjer entry.  Due to inexperience, and not wanting to pester, I wasted a few but was delighted to come away with copies of originals of 2 marriage certs, a birth cert and and 5 baptism entries for £5.

This sounds like you were looking at parish registers - were you at a Register Office or a Record Office?

[newburychap]

I have had decent service from Reading RO - certs were handwritten modern copies.  Their indexes are online (though not yet completely) - www.berkshirebmd.org.uk

[Gartag]

Good point Newbury, just looked it up.  it's the record office in matlock.
http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/record_office/getting_here/default.asp

So wish I could afford to go up there for a fortnight lol

[Rosie (MaccHistorian)]

Of course, if your ancestors married in church and you want a marriage certificate then it's in the parish register for that church. You can often get a copy of the actual certificate free of charge by searching for it in the local records office or perhaps by hiring the film at an LDS library.

[Sloe Gin]

Warwick tell me that they make no charge for checks and limited searches, and aim to process applications on the day of receipt when possible.

Unfortunately they are only able to supply typed copies.  Remember that this is still a transcription taken directly from the original, so it's the next best thing.

They were as good as their word, as the certificate arrived today (Thursday) and I only posted the letter on Tuesday.  Just a pity it's not the original, as I would have been able to compare the signature, but the GRO copy wouldn't have had the original siggy anyway, so nothing lost.

[Sloe Gin]

Just ordered one by phone from West Berkshire (Newbury).

Very pleasant and co-operative - the lady offered to search then and there, called back after ten minutes to confirm she had found it, and it will be in the post tomorrow.  (I paid over the phone by card.)  It will be a handwritten copy    but all the other boxes ticked so four-star service from them   

[Roger The Hat]

I rang Huntingdon RO to enquire about a death certificate for my grandmother, the usual details I'd already found on FreeBMD.

They told me that by the time they'd done their search, photocopied it and posted it to me, it woud be quicker and far cheaper for me to order one from the GRO.

 

'Hat.

[kathb]

The Cheshire ones are wonderful, faster than the GRO, but they are handwritten transcriptions.  I went into the Register office on one occasion and was asked to wait.  I thought they were going to check something and the lady came back to me in about 5 minutes with the copy and said they were not busy. I was delighted.
Great Service
Regards
Kathb