Edith NEWBERRY Birth - Any Suggestions?

[Laurina]

Searching for the birth of Edith Newberry - I want to order her birth certificate.

I can trace Edith Newberry in the census between 1861-1901. She appears in 1861 as Eda Newberry and in 1871 as Edith Newbury. She marries Charles Hill in 1878.

I have visited HALS and she appears to have been baptised twice! Firstly on 31 Dec 1852 and secondly with her younger sister Hannah on 19 Sep 1855. Why? the parents match at both baptisms.

I have searched the Birth Index between Oct 1850 and Mar 1854 but with no success - I looked at surnames Newbery, Newberry, Newbury. All her siblings were registered at birth in Hitchin.  Her elder brother was born in Jan 1850. Her younger sister was born in Dec 1854.

I would welcome any suggestions as I would like this birth certificate - it must be there somewhere mustn't it?

Laurina

[Keith Bateman]

Hi Laurina,

Haven't looked for her yet - but a few quick pointers.

I have visited HALS and she appears to have been baptised twice! Firstly on 31 Dec 1852 and secondly with her younger sister Hannah on 19 Sep 1855. Why? the parents match at both baptisms.

Maybe the first child died and when another came along they called her Edith - has happened to me quite often - 3 times once before the child managed to reach adulthood!

it must be there somewhere mustn't it?

No!! It was not compulsory before 1875(?) about.
So they did what they always did and get them baptised!

All her siblings were registered at birth in Hitchin

Sometimes they moved away for a couple of years - and then moved back - just to fool you!!

Not being very helpful I know - but they are pointers.

The certificate might not give you any more details than you have!

Cheers

Keith

[Laurina]

Thanks Keith,

I know I probably wont discover much new info but I'd like to find a birth anyway. I have considered the first but can't find a birth for any Edith around this time.

I realise it wasn't compulsory but didn't know the date it became compulsory.

This couple had six children - five were registered at birth, the eldest two were registered with both parents names even though the parents weren't married. They never seemed to leave Hitchin in their lives and I can't find an Edith registered anywhere at this time. It's really frustrating.

Laurina

[JanetteO]

If the baby was stillborn it wasn't law to have stillborns registered until 1926 as they were concerned that unscrupupolous midwives and maternity home proprietors colluded in disposing of live babies after declaring them to be stillborn (My Ancestor Was Bastard by Ruth Paley I purchased my copy at SOGS).

My father always talked about a baby that was born before him, it was given the same name as him, but as it didn't survive and tradition was to hand down the name to first born, my father next born was given the dead baby's name. I've never found a death entry and this book explained it all to me cos my dad was born in 1919. I do believe it was stillborn as my uncle tells me his father always said that the doctor didn't slap the baby hard enough in his opinion!

Jan

[Laurina]

Thanks Jan,

I didn't know that. One Edith lived and married ~ I would expect a birth cert for her as all her siblings were registered.

Laurina

[whittenbury]

Hi
Have you checked under the mothers maiden name?
It could be what happened in one of mine when the father refused to belive the baby was his and was registered in the mothers name.
I tried a search on free bmd with just edith first name and Hitchin place and got some.
Births Mar 1851
King    Edith       
Births Mar 1852   
Chamberlain Edith           
Births Dec 1853   
SMITH    Edith        
Births Sep 1854   
Berry    Edith        
Jeeves    Edith        
Moules    Edith        
Births Sep 1855
Births Sep 1855     
Cain    Edith
The Berry one looks intresting, what you could do if you have the recourses is check the bapt of them?
Good luck
Den

[bedfordshire boy]

Have you checked with Hitchin Register Office? Sometimes the transcriptions that were sent quarterly to the GRO missed entries.

David