Author Topic: Asking a Registrar a question  (Read 2623 times)

Online Forfarian

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Asking a Registrar a question
« on: Thursday 12 October 17 15:57 BST (UK) »
I am under the impression that, before ordering a certificate, one is allowed to ask a local Registrar a question to which the answer is either yes or no. I have in fact done this several times, contacting several different Registrars, and have always received a reply saying either yes or no.

The other day I sent a question to a different Registrar asking if the groom's father's name is on the certificate, and I have now received a reply saying that they cannot tell me the answer unless the certificate is ordered.

I do not want to shell out £9.25 if the certificate isn't going to tell me the name of the groom's father, which is the only piece of useful information on it that I don't already know. (He was born illegitimate in Scotland.)

Is this 'ask-a-question' a right, or a privilege at the discretion of the Registrar, and if it is a right can anyone point me to chapter and verse so that I can quote them out to this Registrar?


Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Online louisa maud

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Re: Asking a Registrar a question
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 12 October 17 16:01 BST (UK) »
I assume that if the child was illegitimate it is possible the father name won't be on a cert, unless someone knows better

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Offline josey

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Re: Asking a Registrar a question
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 12 October 17 16:03 BST (UK) »
...though many illegitimate children made up a father for the marriage certificate...
Seeking: RC baptism Philip Murray Feb ish 1814 ? nr Chatham Kent.
IRE: Kik DRAY[EA], PURCELL, WHITE: Mea LYNCH: Tip MURRAY, SHEEDY: Wem ALLEN, ENGLISHBY; Dub PENROSE: Lim DUNN[E], FRAWLEY, WILLIAMS.
87th Regiment RIF: MURRAY
ENG; Marylebone HAYTER, TROU[W]SDALE, WILLIAMS,DUNEVAN Con HAMPTON, TREMELLING Wry CLEGG, HOLLAND, HORSEFIELD Coventry McGINTY
CAN; Halifax & Pictou: HOLLAND, WHITE, WILLIAMSON

Offline smudwhisk

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Re: Asking a Registrar a question
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 12 October 17 16:23 BST (UK) »
and some of them did actually give their father's name albeit sometimes the official assumed they both had the same surname.
(KENT) Lingwell, Rayment (BUCKS) Read, Hutchins (SRY) Costin, Westbrook (DOR) Gibbs, Goreing (DUR) Green (ESX) Rudland, Malden, Rouse, Boosey (FIFE) Foulis, Russell (NFK) Johnson, Farthing, Purdy, Barsham (GLOS) Collett, Morris, Freebury, May, Kirkman (HERTS) Winchester, Linford (NORTHANTS) Bird, Brimley, Chater, Wilford, Read, Chapman, Jeys, Marston, Lumley (WILTS) Arden, Whatley, Batson, Gleed, Greenhill (SOM) Coombs, Watkins (RUT) Stafford (BERKS) Sansom, Angel, Young, Stratton, Weeks, Day


Offline mazi

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Re: Asking a Registrar a question
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 12 October 17 16:38 BST (UK) »
Surely the registrar can give you any information to help you buy the correct certificate.

You know this is the correct certificate but are trying to avoid buying it :), not good for business

Mike


Edit:  that may sound a bit blunt, it was not meant that way

Offline Guy Etchells

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Re: Asking a Registrar a question
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 12 October 17 17:43 BST (UK) »
I am under the impression that, before ordering a certificate, one is allowed to ask a local Registrar a question to which the answer is either yes or no. I have in fact done this several times, contacting several different Registrars, and have always received a reply saying either yes or no.

The other day I sent a question to a different Registrar asking if the groom's father's name is on the certificate, and I have now received a reply saying that they cannot tell me the answer unless the certificate is ordered.

I do not want to shell out £9.25 if the certificate isn't going to tell me the name of the groom's father, which is the only piece of useful information on it that I don't already know. (He was born illegitimate in Scotland.)

Is this 'ask-a-question' a right, or a privilege at the discretion of the Registrar, and if it is a right can anyone point me to chapter and verse so that I can quote them out to this Registrar?




The best way to do this is to order a certificate where the groom is X the bride is Y and the groom's father is Z.

The registrar is then bound by law to ensure he/she only supplies the certificate if the details match.

Consumer Rights Act 2015

"11 Goods to be as described
(1) Every contract to supply goods by description is to be treated as including a
term that the goods will match the description."

The downside of ordering like this is if the details do not match exactly as stated you are likely to have the order rejected.

Cheers
Guy
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Online Forfarian

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Re: Asking a Registrar a question
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 12 October 17 18:11 BST (UK) »
Hmmm. Yes, I could order a certificate quoting the groom's and bride's names, but stating that the groom's father's name is required information and if it doesn't contain that it is not the certificate I want.

Or I could just forget about it until the GRO comes up with some more useful details in its indexes, as it has done with births before 1911.
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Online Forfarian

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Re: Asking a Registrar a question
« Reply #7 on: Thursday 12 October 17 18:13 BST (UK) »
I assume that if the child was illegitimate it is possible the father name won't be on a cert, unless someone knows better
Which is exactly why I want to know if the information is on the certificate before I order it. If it isn't, then the certificate is no use to me.
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Online Forfarian

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Re: Asking a Registrar a question
« Reply #8 on: Thursday 12 October 17 18:16 BST (UK) »
You know this is the correct certificate but are trying to avoid buying it :), not good for business
Edit:  that may sound a bit blunt, it was not meant that way
:) No, indeed not. If it were a Scottish one I wouldn't hesitate, as they only cost £1.50 and you get the couple's mothers' full maiden names too, but £9.25 without knowing if it even has the information I want is a gamble too far.
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.