Two entries of birth, which one to order?

[wendyandrews]

My niece (daughter if my husband's brother) has asked me to order a copy of her birth certificate as she has never seen it (she is 35!). The problem in my endeavour to get a copy for her is that her birth seems to appear in the GRO indexes twice, so I am unsure of which one to order. She was born before her Mum and Dad were married and the first registration is with her Mum's maiden name. Her Mum left her Dad when my niece was 2 and about a year later, in 1983, there is a second registration under her Dad's surname (he was left to raise his daughter, and my niece didn't have contact with her Mum until she was an adult). Alongside the usual volume and page numbers if the second GEO entry  there are some handwritten numbers and a letter (e.g. 12345/S, although I am unable to make out one of the numbers clearly). I am wondering what these numbers and letter could mean, and also which certificate to order, or both? Does anyone else have any experience of this, or any advice? She has previously asked her Dad for her birth cert but he says he hasn't got it, I suspect he probably does as looks likely that he was the person to make the second registration under his surname, but for reasons unknown he won't share it with her!

[philipsearching]

I don't know the legality of having a second registration, but to be on the safe side I would order the certificate for the registration which first occurred after she was born.  If there are no additional notes on it to suggest that it was cancelled and replaced then it will definitely be legal.

Philip

[ScouseBoy]

Its a difficult choice.      Personally, I would order the first one initially.

[ScouseBoy]

I believe that parents can add an additional name within the first six months of the birth date.

[wendyandrews]

I have just realised that the handwritten numbers and letters are alongside the first entry, not the second so it looks like these may have been added 2 years later when the second registration was made. Maybe they have been linked together? Also in the 1980 registers there us an asterisk in the place her name would be if it had initially been registered as her Dad's surname, and at the bottom the page her name is written and M83 (March 1983 is when the second registration occurred).

[dawnsh]

"You" could try to order the first one but if that entry has been superceded by a second, the GRO will supply the 2nd entry.

However as the event was less than 50 years ago, the online ordering ssytem will ask you for questions about the birth registration that you may not be able to answer.

The best thing your neice can do is telephone the GRO directly on 0300 123 1837 and order her own birth cert explaining that there are 2 entries in the index.

[ScouseBoy]

Or Alternatively,        If you know which Registry Office she was registered at, She could make a personal visit to that office  and request a copy of her birth certificate.

[wendyandrews]

Thank you for the replies, think I will try the first, had already looked at the online GRO form and know all the relevant details to complete it so will give it a go.   

[silvery]

You will be asked for the exact dob, and the mothers full name.