Unregistered birth in 1883?

[suecee]

Is it possible that a birth could still go unregistered by 1883?
I know from the 1901 census that my illegitimate grandfather, Sydney Frank Wright, was born in Clapham and that his mother was Susan Bird, also known as Susannah. (Susan Bird married Edward Wright in 1892)
As is typical, Sydney was not with his mother on the night of the 1891 census. I believe I have found him as Sidney Bird age 7 born Clapham, a visitor a few streets away from where his mother is listed.
I have been able to trace Susan Bird's family back in the Clapham area but I cannot find any record of my grandfather's birth. Would births have still gone unregistered by then as by 1874 it was a legal requirement. Would he or could he have been registered under the father's surname. I have looked at likely candidates from the Sep and Dec quarters and then tried tracing them in the censuses and haven't found any possibles.
I have no absolute proof that Susan is his mother although it is unlikely that she was not.
Any ideas?

[nanny jan]

Hi suecee,

I've got 2 births (1872/4 and 1879) that I am unable to find registered; they both appear on various census and I have death certs for both and a marriage cert for one.  You could look in parish registers for a baptism.

My 2 unregistereds are both in London and as I am in Dorset I have not yet been able to search possible baptisms.

Good luck,

Nanny Jan

[colinjohn]

There's a distinct possiblity, even as late as 1883. I came across this item in the Times for 7 October 1889:

Extract from the annual report of Dr Septimus Gibbon, Medical Officer of Health, Holborn District Board of Works
... Dr Gibbon is doubtful about the population in it. ... Dr. Gibbon calculates the population as at the time of the census of 1881 – namely 35,850 in the Holborn registration district and 1,232 in the Glasshouse-yard Liberty. The birth-rate during the year was 25.1 per 1,000 inhabitants, as against 30.7, the birth rate of all London. He holds that there are reasons for believing that the real birth-rate of the district is not obtained, and his reason is that many of the births among the migratory and Italian population escape registration. …

I'm sure that the problem existed in other areas too.

Colin

[LizzieW]

That could explain why I can't find my g.grandad's birth which seems to have been anywhere between 1857 and 1861.

Liz

[Necromancer]

Google up 'Comedy of Errors' - a book which highlights the GRO and these problems ....

[Frances]

Hi suecee,

Much to my frustration I have a complete family who I assume objected to registering children. Originated in Herefordshire and then moved to Camberwell, all I have to work with are the census years  The first registration I could find was my own grandmother, none before.

Frances

[suecee]

Thanks all
Nanny Jan - I am also in Dorset and don't have access to the parish registers either. Susan Bird moved around the Battersea, Lambeth, Clapham area so there's a lot of possible parish registers to search!

Has anyone read both volumes of the Comedy of Errors and distilled it down so they can tell me how to see if my grandfather's birth was registered.
If it wasn't registered at all I can only assume that the illegitimacy was the reason behind it.

Would my grandfather have had trouble later not possessing a birth certificate and how would he have got round it?

Thanks
Sue

[nanny jan]

Hi Sue,

I did read both volumes of Comedy of Errors some time ago; often mistakes were made when the records from the various registrars were entered into the main books e.g. 2 pages being turned over instead of one or the wrong registration district being entered. 

It means going back to the original registration office and asking them to search; if you are sure of the area.

Nanny Jan

[suecee]

Hi Nanny Jan
It seems that a visit to London is inevitable.
Susan's place of birth is given as Clapham on the 1901 census but I know from her birth certificate that she was born in Lambeth, so does that mean that her son, also given as born in Clapham, might actually have been born in Lambeth as well   

That's two different offices. (Sigh)

Sue