How good is your local records office?

[Dougalmac2]

I realise this topic has probably been dealt with before, but I can't find it, so-

Until recently I had only ever purchased certificates by internet from the Central Office but recently a helpful Rootschatter suggested I contact a couple of local offices for some.
Firstly I contacted Salford  by phone, asked them to selectone certificate from a couple depending on the fathers name.  The person I spoke to was really helpful, I ordered it at about 4PM on the Monday and it arrived by post on the Thursday.   100%
Secondly I tried a similar thing at Manchester and couldn't even get anyone to talk to.  0%

How do you rate the offices you've dealt with?

Mac

[Lloydy]

I've only use one local office - Newtown, Powys - and the service I received was fantastic.  I had a telephone query to make first, then requested the certificates (two, because the babies were twins!!!) and they arrived 2 days later.  Brilliant

Jan

[nashua]

I ordered 2 certs from Bristol register office & 2  from Chippenham Wiltshire. Both requests posted on Wednesday and all 4 certs arrived today. Much quicker than the GRO, so I'm well pleased

Nashua

[Carra]

Mac,
I haven't personally ordered certificates from Manchester, but I know people who have and they reported no problems.  One thought did occur to me - it wasn't Tuesday when you tried to contact them was it?  I think quite a few of the registry offices were closed due to the local government strike.
Carra

[Nutty1966]

I visited the records office for Middlesbrough and Northallerton, both were very easy to use, staff were amazing, helpful and very friendly.  When you find the certs you need you can get photocopies for 50p each, which can save you considerable amount of money if you have a large family!

Will be going back for definite

Big thanks to all the staff in both offices 

Jane

[Lemontree]

Hi

I am a bit confused as my local records office don't have certificates they have told me I have to order them from the register office. Can anyone explain why they do this?

Lemon

[nashua]

Hi Lemon,

The register offices provide copies of BMD certificates for events which occurred after civil registration began in 1837.

Before that records of baptisms, marriages & burials are only available from parish registers held at the local records offices.

These record offices will usually let you take copies from the microfiche for a small fee ( I use the record office at Bristol and they also charge 50p)

It is much cheaper than ordering from the GRO or local register office if you can find the event you need. But, the baptism & burial records do not give as much info as birth & death certs. Marriages do give full details, but you can only find them if the took place in a church, the record offices do not have copies for register office marriages .

Hope this helps

Nashua

[Lemontree]

Hi

So I can get birth and death certificates from the record office as well as marriage certificates after 1837?

As when I asked at my local record office they told me I had to order these from the registry office as they were civil registration and they only kept parish records.

Lemon

[nashua]

Hi Lemon,

Sorry if I did not make it clear. You can only get BMD certs at register offices.

At the record office they have microfiche of parish records, so if you know what parish the event occured in you can see and copy the original entry from the register. Later marriage entries contain the same details as marriage certs, although early ones do not record fathers names or occupation.

You cannot get details of deaths or births from the record office , but you can get baptisms and burials.

Baptisms only give name & son/daughter of (parents names), abode & fathers occupation - it does not often give date of birth or mothers maiden name which you would find on a birth cert.

Burials usually give name age  abode & occupation - whereas on the death cert you would get date of death, cause etc & who registered the death

Hope this is a bit clearer.

Nashua