Tiny birth certificate - information please!

[angelan]

I have been allowed to borrow an original birth certificate from my oldest living relative, born during the early 1920s in England.

When a small envelope was handed to me I thought I had been given an empty enveope by mistake. However when I looked inside there was a very thin lightwieght piece of paper about 4 x 5 inches in size. It looks very fragile and has several tiny holes and darker greasy looking stains (from sweaty hands I should think) especially where it has been folded.

Every other birth certificate I have seen has been at least A4 in size and has information about parents etc. This one just has name, birthdate, signature of Registrar and district of registration. I was quite disappointed at the lack of information although I know parents, occupations etc already. The parents had been married for about 17 years and already had 5 shildren.

Can anyone tell me anything about this type of certificate and why it has so little information? If I sent to GRO would I get the usual information with names of parents and occupation of father?

Would also appreciate any tips on preservation of this very fragile document. I have already scanned it and will NOT be laminating it. I assume it should be kept unfolded in a dark dry place, but what else can I do to stop it from disintegrating.

Angela

[Gaille]

I have been allowed to borrow an original birth certificate from my oldest living relative, born during the early 1920s in England.

When a small envelope was handed to me I thought I had been given an empty enveope by mistake. However when I looked inside there was a very thin lightwieght piece of paper about 4 x 5 inches in size. It looks very fragile and has several tiny holes and darker greasy looking stains (from sweaty hands I should think) especially where it has been folded.

Every other birth certificate I have seen has been at least A4 in size and has information about parents etc. This one just has name, birthdate, signature of Registrar and district of registration. I was quite disappointed at the lack of information although I know parents, occupations etc already. The parents had been married for about 17 years and already had 5 shildren.

Can anyone tell me anything about this type of certificate and why it has so little information? If I sent to GRO would I get the usual information with names of parents and occupation of father?

Would also appreciate any tips on preservation of this very fragile document. I have already scanned it and will NOT be laminating it. I assume it should be kept unfolded in a dark dry place, but what else can I do to stop it from disintegrating.

Angela

Hi Angela,

What you have is what I was always told was called a "Short" certificate. Some registrars issued these when the child was registered, the full one was then issued later - at a cost.
I remember being told that the short ones were issued free.

The cert you had was legal to use, and a lot of people only had this one -  My Maternal Grandma didnt even KNOW she only had a short one till I went to St catherines and got her a full one about 20 years ago  she was amazed to find info about her dad on it she didnt know!

The reference number on the Little certificate you have is the one in the registers  - if you quote that one on your form you shoul get the "Full" certificate.

I have quite a few of them myself - and most in the same condition as yours!

Gaille

[angelan]

Gaille

Thank you for your information about short certificates. I think I will have to get the full one for him as he was born shortly after the 1921 census. The 1931 was accidentaly burned and of course there was no 1941 census taken because of the war. He was taking part in the war anyway.

His older brother and sister are on the 1911 census with his parents, but this gentleman will never be on a census with his parents or any siblings because of the loss of the 1931 census. I expect this will be the case for many other families.

Angela