"Clerical Error" sex-change.

[Romilly]

Hi there.

I got a shock today, when I recieved a copy of my late Uncle Ernest's birth certificate...

He was initially registered, in August 1897, as "Alice"!!

This was ammended by the Registrar in November 1897, who added "Ernest" in Column 10, & noted that a "Clerical Error in Column 3" was corrected in the presence of WJ. Wilson, (my Grandfather).

I'm intrigued by this "Clerical Error" sex change ("Girl" has been crossed out, and replaced by "boy" in Column 3). Did the Registrar really make a mistake, - or was it my Grandfather?

And worst of all...poor Uncle Ernest/Alice...just imagine joining the Merchant Navy & having to produce that Birth Cert!!!

Romilly.

[Su]

  Romily.  Perhaps your Grandfather had been 'wetting' the baby's head with too much of the hard stuff 

Ernest wasn't a twin was he?

Su

[Romilly]

Hi Su,

No, - Uncle Ernest definately wasn't a twin, LOL. (Perhaps the lighting was rather dim when he was born? Or possibly the midwife had left her glasses at home?).

My mother only met him once...& she says he was DEFINATELY a man

What is rather strange is that my daughter Alice has the same birthday as him, - but she is DEFINATELY a GIRL!!!

Cheers, Romilly.

[indiapaleale]

I had to laugh at your story!

It reminded me of the birth certificate mix-up in my own family.

My Dad had two brothers...both named Arnold Eric!

It seems that Grandad went to register the new baby boy and on his way he stopped by the local for a few sherberts! When he got to the Register Office he was well puddled and forgot what he was supposed to name the baby. All he could think of was the name of the other toddler at home....hence Arnold Eric!

It's a good thing that the second Arnold Eric wasn't a girl!

India

[janan]

Hi
There are apparently conditions where the gender of a child is ambiguous at birth - maybe poor old Ernest/Alice suffered from such a condition
Jan

[Romilly]

Hi
There are apparently conditions where the gender of a child is ambiguous at birth - maybe poor old Ernest/Alice suffered from such a condition
Jan

Hi Jan,

Yes...I have read about this, its a condition called "trans-gender", I think.

I never met Uncle Ernest, (he died in 1957), but he never married...& (according to my mother) was very STRANGE.

If this was the case...(& his gender was somewhat ambiguous)...I feel terribly sad for him

All the best, Romilly.

[Lloydy]

I think Hermaphrodite is the medical word.......


Jan

[Romilly]

I think Hermaphrodite is the medical word.......

Jan

Hi Jan,

Since recieving my Uncle's birth cert...I've done some research along these lines, & gather that true hermaphrodism is extremely rare. Most "mistakes" as to assigning gender at birth are less extreme...

The fact that Ernest/Alice was able to join the Merchant Navy & serve during WW1 would surely show that he was able to pass the requisite medicals required of Seamen at that time?

I'm attaching a pic of my Grandmother, with Ernest/Alice on her lap as a baby. (All 3 children are boys, but they all seem to be wearing dresses).

Best Wishes, Romilly

[Shaztoni]

It's not surprising to have a child of that age in a dress, I have a very similar picture of my uncle William at about the same age in a dress, and he went on to sire 11 children.
Back to the wrong registry of births because of "too much drink" my father has two birth certs, and for two different days no less, my grandfather registered him for one day and my great grandmother for another, to this day he doesn't know which is right.
Sharon