Requesting registrar to search for a birth

[Jomot]

I'm feeling incredibly frustrated at the moment trying to pin down the birth certificate for my GG Grandmother.  Unfortunately she was born in Wales in 1847/8 with a very common name and I have no idea who her parents were as she is never with them in any census.

From what I've pieced together from her later life I have a rough idea of her date of birth (day/month) and a possible address for her birth.  I also have a possible forename for her mother and also a name for her father - although as his surname does not match hers she was probably illegitimate.   

If I was able to inspect the register of births in person I'm sure I could narrow it down to 2 or 3 worth further investigation, but of course these records are off limits to the general public.  I've contacted the Register Office for the area and they did a cursory search based on the day/month of birth, but for 1847 only, and did not find a match.  However they also said that no births were illegitimate whereas the GRO index implies that at least one was.

I'm willing to pay for a more thorough search, but as all I have are a handful of maybe's I'm really not sure how they can match my request, or if they are even required to try.

Does anyone have any advice as to what I can reasonably expect them to do?  Buying every birth certificate for this name over the 1847-8 period is simply not financially feasible, but as they are the sole guardians of the records I feel I'm being held hostage.

[Jebber]

Did she have any siblings and have you found their births?  not all births were registered in the early days, she may be one of those.

[dawnsh]

You don't mention which register office but if you have looked on their website and know what the cost of a birth cert plus postage is from that reg office, send them a cheque for the amount with a covering letter explaining all you know and dates +/- 2 years and ask for a search.

They are duty bound to reply to written correspondence.

As Jebber mentions, a pre-1875 birth might have slipped under the authorites radar, even more so with the suggestion of illegitimacy.

What about potential baptism records? have you cross referenced any of those with census/GRO birth index etc?

[Girl Guide]

Jomot - As a matter of interest who was she with in the 1851 census?  She would have been 3/4 years old then.

Was she with any family of any kind or with totally unrelated people?

[Jomot]

I don't know of any siblings unfortunately as in 1851 she is with a family with a different surname and is listed only as 'relative'.  I've tried connecting this family to anyone with her surname, but the surnames involved are so common in Wales it's virtually impossible.   

To be honest I don't even know for certain that the 1851 person is definitely her, but she is on the same street in 1861 working as a servant to a different family, and I've ruled out most of the alternatives.  Her future husband is on the same street in both years also.

The register office is Merthyr Tydfil and their website says their charges are £10 per certificate, plus:

Five year search of indexes - £5
Ten year search of indexes - £10
General search made by applicant - £18 (not quite sure what this means). 

I had considered simply sending a cheque for the 5-year search but there may be more than one child whose mother is my 'maybe' name, or who lives on my 'maybe' street, or was born close to my 'maybe' date.   Or perhaps they wont send me anything at all unless it exactly matches - I don't know what the 'rules' are, hence my question as to what I can reasonably expect them to do.

[wivenhoe]

Start with your gg grandmothers marriage certificate......there is a certificate? Can you give all the information on that record.

If you do not know names for parents / siblings, and it is a common nam, how do you know that you are not seeing her / them on a census?.

[Girl Guide]

Have you thought about writing to the registry office and asking them what criteria they need to do a search?

If you get that clarified you can then decide whether to ask them to do a search.

Have you tried Dawnsh suggestion of a baptism record or would there be too many to try that?

[avm228]

Is she Ann Davis, 3 b Aberdare, in Aberdare in 1851? HO107/2460/146/25

[Jomot]

What about potential baptism records? have you cross referenced any of those with census/GRO birth index etc?

Unfortunately the only baptism is for 1846, and although the mother's details match my 'maybe' mother's name, the fathers name & occupation don't tie in.  I've found them in 1861 & this child isn't with them, but I've also found a probable burial for her. 

Have you thought about writing to the registry office and asking them what criteria they need to do a search?

Yes, I did ask, but their reply was just that they hadn't found anything that matched the details I'd provided (ie the name & DoB I'd given them as part of my query as to what other information they would need).  I know I need to ask them again more specifically, but I was hoping others could give me some advice first, since I'm asking them to match 'maybe's'.

Is she Ann Davis, 3 b Aberdare, in Aberdare in 1851? HO107/2460/146/25

Yes, that's her.