Insensitivity by Registrars?

[suzard]

I didn't know that - well it was late 1960's when that happened to us !!!

Suz

[Melbell]

When you give Notice of Marriage you areapplying for a Certificate of No Impediment - it's not a different procedure (even if marrying abroad).

Melbell

[Gillg]

I always thought that once a person was adopted that they became legally a part of the family who adopted them and that their birth parents were no longer considered. I know on programmes such as Heir Hunters it is often mentioned that adopted children don't inherit from birth parents automatically.

At one time it was necessary for an adopted child to be named in a will as adopted in order for him/her to inherit automatically from his/her adoptive parents, although he/she could, of course, be named simply as a legatee. My parents' wills had therefore to state that my brother was adopted.  (I wasn't adopted, having arrived 18 months after the adoption to everyone's amazement, including the surgeon's, who had said that my parents would never be able to have children!) When my husband and I wrote our wills our solicitor told us that this was now no longer necessary, as our two children had been legally adopted. Looks like there was a change in the law.  Heir Hunters should know about this.

[groom]

That's what I meant Gill and what HeirHunter say. Once a child is adopted they become a legal part of their adoptive family and have no further rights/ connection with their birth family. So when they are looking for heirs from someone who has died intestate,  if they find a child who has been adopted out of the family, that child can't inherit from their birth parents. If however they find a child who has been adopted into the family, that child has as much right to inherit as blood relatives.

[Gillg]

Just found this http://www.inheritancedisputes.co.uk/news-articles/adopted-children-and-inheritance.html which says that the law change I referred to earlier took place in 1976, but is effective for adoptions which took place before that date (1974 and 1975 in my children's case).  I was also interested to read that an adopted child cannot claim on his/her biological parent's estate in cases of intestacy.

[groom]

I was also interested to read that an adopted child cannot claim on his/her biological parent's estate in cases of intestacy.

That makes perfect sense to me as, apart from the blood connection, the child has no legal connection with their birth family after adoption. I seem to remember a case where an adopted child found their biological father, got on really well with him and was promised that they would inherit the house after he died. However, because the father didn't leave a will, the child had no claim and it went to a distant cousin instead.

[Forfarian]

She was of course aware of his full name, date of birth, datre of marriage and parents' names, but was then nonplussed to be asked if she knew where his mother and father were born and what their occupations were. When she asked why this was required she was told that it would help researchers in the future identify the right people. She found this rather unnecessary and upsetting enough for her to raise it with me some weeks later.

Scottish death certificates, right from the outset in 1855, have included the name and occupation of the deceased person's father, and the full name, including maiden surname, of his/her mother. In recent years they also include the mother's occupation. So these are absolutely standard questions.

I have never seen a death certificate with the birthplaces of the deceased's parents, however, so I don't know why the Registrar would have asked this.

As for the reason given, I am pretty sure that this has nothing whatsoever to do with making things easier for family historians. It will be for legal reasons, in case anyone ever needs to prove a descent from or a relationship to someone who is deceased. After all, the statutory registration system was invented long before anyone other than the aristocracy kept genealogical records.

What I cannot understand is why English, Welsh and Irish death certificates do not give the names of both parents of the deceased person!

[pharmaT]

She was of course aware of his full name, date of birth, datre of marriage and parents' names, but was then nonplussed to be asked if she knew where his mother and father were born and what their occupations were. When she asked why this was required she was told that it would help researchers in the future identify the right people. She found this rather unnecessary and upsetting enough for her to raise it with me some weeks later.

Scottish death certificates, right from the outset in 1855, have included the name and occupation of the deceased person's father, and the full name, including maiden surname, of his/her mother. In recent years they also include the mother's occupation. So these are absolutely standard questions.

I have never seen a death certificate with the birthplaces of the deceased's parents, however, so I don't know why the Registrar would have asked this.

As for the reason given, I am pretty sure that this has nothing whatsoever to do with making things easier for family historians. It will be for legal reasons, in case anyone ever needs to prove a descent from or a relationship to someone who is deceased. After all, the statutory registration system was invented long before anyone other than the aristocracy kept genealogical records.

What I cannot understand is why English, Welsh and Irish death certificates do not give the names of both parents of the deceased person!

I agree that the information on Scottish certificates is so much better than the rest of the Uk.

I too don't remember being asked for the parents place of birth just names, other names and occupation.  TBF, it was a bit of a blur.  I also don't see how it could help future historians if it's not on the certificate and I've never seen that information on a certificate.  I haven't seen a certifictae any newer than 8 years ago, I wonder if they're changed them.

[medpat]

I wonder if the questions about the birth mother relates to requirements in Greece.

I live in Cyprus and if 2 Cypriots are marrying they have to have a blood test because of Thalassemia. It is a disease carried genetically. The highest concentration of the disease is in Greece.  Greek marriage rules may be similar to here and they may have wanted proof that it was 2 British people wanting to get married.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalassemia

The registrar may not have understood why the questions were being asked but could have been more diplomatic about it.