Birth cert help

[JoTH]

Hi

I am trying to obtain the birth certificate of Elizabeth Jones and as you can imagine I'm not having success finding the right one and paying out for certificates that are not mine!

I know from census she could have been born between 1852-54 in either Lawley Bank or Wellington, her marriage cert just indicates full age and her death cert she was 73 when she died in 1925.  Her parents were Robert and Fanny.  (Her husband's birth certificate was from Madeley which seems to be in the same area).

Can anyone help who might have the right resources for finding Elizabeth?

Joanna

[avm228]

Hi

I see that in her earliest censuses she is

7 b Wellington in 1861 (living at Lawley Bank with widowed mother Fanny)
18 b Wellington in 1871 (still living at Lawley Bank with widowed mother Fanny)

Can you say which certificates you have ordered which have turned out to be wrong?  There don't seem to be that many candidates in Wellington RD on FreeBMD.

Anna

[avm228]

In fact I see three candidates on FreeBMD:

Jun qtr 1852

Elizabeth JONES
Wellington 6a 680

Jun qtr 1853

Jane Elizabeth JONES
Wellington 6a 685


Sep qtr 1854

Elizabeth JONES
Wellington 6a 653

[JoTH]

Hi Anna

It was the 6a 680 certificate - I haven't ordered any more as I saw that I could be heading down the same path I had with another rellie with a similarly popular name!

I did wonder if she might also have been registered in Madeley.

Joanna

[avm228]

Certainly with a name like this I'd recommend ordering on a "checking" basis - i.e. you only want the certificate if (e.g.) father's name is Robert.  That way you at least get a partial refund if it's the wrong one!

I quite like Jane Elizabeth b Jun 1853 given the ages in 1861/1871.

Anna

PS Others have said on here that some local register offices will check them before sending out and not charge you if they're the wrong ones, though I personally have no experience of that.

[JoTH]

Hi Anna

I have had success with contacting the local register office in Sunderland but don't know about in Shropshire.

The Elizabeth you fancy odds on is that a typing error "Jane" or is that her second name!

[avm228]

The Elizabeth you fancy odds on is that a typing error "Jane" or is that her second name!

?

Her first name is Jane and her second name is Elizabeth.

It was very common in the Victorian era to "go by" one's second name, so if you have trouble finding a certificate you should never neglect to look for individuals with the relevant name officially as middle rather than first.