Author Topic: Why did they leave it till the last minute?  (Read 1504 times)

Offline LizzieL

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Why did they leave it till the last minute?
« on: Saturday 18 November 17 11:00 GMT (UK) »
I've just been reviewing some of my very early family history research (I mean stuff I did many years ago, not my earliest ancestors) and I have just realised that my father's birth was registered on the 13th July, his date of birth being 31st May.
This raises several questions:
Why did parents leave it until the last minute? If they hadn't thought of a name they could have just registered him as "Male".
Is this just within the 42 day time limit or do you count the day of birth as Day 1 and it would actually be 43 days?
It also makes me wonder if 31st May wasn't the actual dob and that was made up so that he appeared to be registered within the time limit.
Any thoughts?
Berks / Oxon: Eltham, Annetts, Wiltshire (surname not county), Hawkins, Pembroke, Partridge
Dorset / Hants: Derham, Stride, Purkiss, Sibley
Yorkshire: Pottage, Carr, Blackburn, Depledge
Sussex: Goodyer, Christopher, Trevatt
Lanark: Scott (soldier went to Jersey CI)
Jersey: Fowler, Huelin, Scott

Offline stanmapstone

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Re: Why did they leave it till the last minute?
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 18 November 17 11:22 GMT (UK) »
Under the 1874 Act you had up to three months, and a maximum of twelve months to register the birth, there was no penalty for late registration. See Birth registration Time frames http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=705053.msg5479986#msg5479986

Stan
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Offline LizzieL

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Re: Why did they leave it till the last minute?
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 18 November 17 11:32 GMT (UK) »
I'm confused ???

https://www.gov.uk/register-birth

states

"1. Overview

All births in England, Wales and Northern Ireland must be registered within 42 days of the child being born."
Berks / Oxon: Eltham, Annetts, Wiltshire (surname not county), Hawkins, Pembroke, Partridge
Dorset / Hants: Derham, Stride, Purkiss, Sibley
Yorkshire: Pottage, Carr, Blackburn, Depledge
Sussex: Goodyer, Christopher, Trevatt
Lanark: Scott (soldier went to Jersey CI)
Jersey: Fowler, Huelin, Scott

Offline stanmapstone

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Re: Why did they leave it till the last minute?
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 18 November 17 13:26 GMT (UK) »
The Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations 1987
Entry of particulars on registration within three months from date of birth
9.—(1) Where the relevant registrar receives from any qualified informant before the expiration of three months from the date of the birth of a child information of the particulars required by Regulation 7(1) he shall forthwith register the birth and the particulars, if not previously registered, in the presence of the informant on form 1, entering the particulars required in spaces 1 to 13 in accordance, where applicable, with the following provisions of this Regulation.

Registration between three and twelve months from date of birth
11.—(1) Where a qualified informant attends before a superintendent registrar pursuant to section 6(1)(a) of the Act(9) for the purpose of the registration of a live-birth which occurred in his district more than three months but not more than twelve months previously, the superintendent registrar shall–............

Registration after twelve months from date of birth
12.—(1) Where a relevant registrar or a relevant superintendent registrar is informed that a live-birth which occurred more than twelve months previously has not been registered, he shall make a report to the Registrar General stating, to the best of his knowledge and belief–..........

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1987/2088/made?tcon
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Offline stanmapstone

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Re: Why did they leave it till the last minute?
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 18 November 17 13:48 GMT (UK) »
The forty two days was set in the 1836 Act and the 1874 Act but the Acts also made allowance for later registration, as is the case now.
Registration of Births and Deaths Act 1874
1. In the case of every child born alive after the commencement of this Act, it shall be the duty of the father and mother of the child, and in default of the father and mother, of the occupier of the house in which to his knowledge the child is born, and of each person resent at the birth, and of the person having charge of the child, to give to the registrar, within forty-two days next after such birth, information of the particulars required to be registered concerning such birth, and in the presence of the registrar to sign the register.
Section 2 gives not more than three months from the date of the birth after being required to do so by the Registrar.

Stan
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Offline andrewalston

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Re: Why did they leave it till the last minute?
« Reply #5 on: Saturday 18 November 17 15:43 GMT (UK) »
I have come across a birth date being "adjusted" so as to lie within the six-week window.

In this case the baptism gave the real date, and the fact that the baptism took place before the date quoted on the birth registration was the clincher!
Looking at ALSTON in south Ribble area, ALSTEAD and DONBAVAND/DUNBABIN etc. everywhere, HOWCROFT and MARSH in Bolton and Westhoughton, PICKERING in the Whitehaven area.

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Offline coombs

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Re: Why did they leave it till the last minute?
« Reply #6 on: Saturday 18 November 17 15:56 GMT (UK) »
My great uncle was born 20 May 1915 and his birth registered on the 1st July 1915. My calculations say that is the 42nd day since the birth. The informant was not the mother but a woman who lived a few miles away in Holloway who was present at the birth. Probably the midwife.

Other documents say he was born 20 May 1915 such as 1939 register and his 2006 death record so no date adjustment. But I do take in Stanmapstones comments about late registration.
Researching:

LONDON, Coombs, Roberts, Auber, Helsdon, Fradine, Morin, Goodacre
DORSET Coombs, Munday
NORFOLK Helsdon, Riches, Harbord, Budery
KENT Roberts, Goodacre
SUSSEX Walder, Boniface, Dinnage, Standen, Lee, Botten, Wickham, Jupp
SUFFOLK Titshall, Frost, Fairweather, Mayhew, Archer, Eade, Scarfe
DURHAM Stewart, Musgrave, Wilson, Forster
SCOTLAND Stewart in Selkirk
USA Musgrave, Saix
ESSEX Cornwell, Stock, Quilter, Lawrence, Whale, Clift
OXON Edgington, Smith, Inkpen, Snell, Batten, Brain

Offline stanmapstone

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Re: Why did they leave it till the last minute?
« Reply #7 on: Saturday 18 November 17 16:12 GMT (UK) »
Under the 1836 Act If the birth was not registered within forty-two days there was a fee of two Shillings and Sixpence entitlement for the Superintendent Registrar, and five shillings for the registrar, Section XXII. There  was a penalty for non-registration in the 1874 Act, but not for late registration. So between 1837 and 1874  there was a financial incentive to make sure  the birth was registered within forty two days, either by the registrar or another responsible person.

Stan
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Offline pharmaT

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Re: Why did they leave it till the last minute?
« Reply #8 on: Saturday 18 November 17 17:21 GMT (UK) »
I have come across a birth date being "adjusted" so as to lie within the six-week window.

In this case the baptism gave the real date, and the fact that the baptism took place before the date quoted on the birth registration was the clincher!

I've come across that too.
Campbell, Dunn, Dickson, Fell, Forest, Norie, Pratt, Somerville, Thompson, Tyler among others