TWO BIRTH CERTIFICATES - ONE PERSON

[Marjorie]

I have obtained two birth certificates which both refer to the same child.  They were registered in different registration districts on different dates, and the actual date of the birth differs by one day.   Why would the mother register the birth twice and in different places?  Any suggestions please?

Cert. 1  Reg. District  Ludlow - sub district Cainham County of Salop
Twenty Seventh March 1884 Cleeton Bitterley -
James Thomas - boy 
(father) Thomas Wyer - (mother) Harriet Wyer formerly Bytheway
(father's occ.)  Farm Labourer
(informant)  Harriet Wyer Mother Catherton Cleobury Mortimer as per Declaration dated 24 May 1884
(Registered) Twenty seventh May 1884
(Sign. Registrar)  Robert Taylor

Cert. 2  Reg. District Cleobury Mortimer - sub district of Cleobury Mortimer - Counties of Salop and Worcester
Twenty eighth March 1884 Catherton Cleobury Mortimer
James Thomas - boy
(father) Thomas Wyer - (mother) Harriet Wyer formerly Bytheway
(father's occ.) Farm Labourer
(informant) Harriet Wyer, Mother, Catherton Cleobury Mortimer (registered) fifth May 1884
(Sign. Registrar) W Rose.

How long were the parents given to register the birth?

[Little Nell]

The answer to your question is six weeks.

Cert 1 is way outside the limit at nearly nine weeks, while Cert 2 is just under the limit.  I think you need to investigate the phrase "as per declaration dated 24th May 1884" - what did that declaration say?  Presumably there was some mistake, perhaps administrative since the districts differ.

Nell

[Gardener]

I wonder if Harriet registered it at her local place, going by the address (Catherton Cleobury Mortimer) but then it turned out that Clatherton should register at Ludlow?
Or may be the baby was born at Cleeton Bitterley and should have registered at Cainham/Ludlow but Harriet lived at Catherton and so registered him at Cleobury Mortimer and then some one spotted her msitake and she had to make a declaration and the birth was re-registered.
Doesn't explain the change in the birthdate though.....

[hilbury]

She might have just mixed up the days/dates that the baby was born, perhaps later she realized her mistake and had to go to the major office for the area to have that correction notorised. 

I forget the date/days all the time..... 

[English Jen]

And if you think it's strange that she got her baby's birth date wrong ... DON'T!!!  When I got my uncle's birth certificate, we discovered that all of his life we have been celebrating his birthday a day too early 

[Marjorie]

Thank you all for all your comments.    I suppose thinking about it the baby may have been born late at night or in the early hours (as they often are!) and the mother may not have been really sure whether it was before or after midnight and then couldn't remember which date she had first stated!

Any idea as to how I can follow up  the 'declaration' referred to?  Why would a declaration be necessary and would this sort of record be kept?

This poor child was in fact murdered by his father just before his fourth birthday after his parents had separated and his mother had taken the older sibling and left the young James with his father.     There is no mystery about his death - just his birth.