GRO indexes on gro.gov.uk !

[Andrew Tarr]

The word Union is showing that the Registration District's were originally based on the Poor Law system areas and the names reflected that for a while and is how the district was named on the register .... nothing to do with being born in the workhouse.

I've had a more thorough trawl of my ancestors in Bosmere & Claydon.  It seems that they added Union until about 1850, then stopped.

[AntonyMMM]

Regarding dashes for mother's surname & being illegitimate - just had an odd one out with a dash in the enhanced index for 1915 & a mothers name in the old index: Helen G Bennett, Southwark 1915. A wife on a distant branch, been working through my tree checking for extra births & filling all mms in, but not intending tracing her parents/siblings anyway. Checked it to find what the middle initial was.

To explain this ... an unmarried woman has no maiden name - so on an illegitimate birth entry the correct entry is a "-".

But, when the indexes used on other sites ( like FreeBMD) were compiled a decision seems to have been taken to (wrongly) repeat an unmarried mother's surname as a maiden name which people have got used to.

So you are using two differently compiled indexes - The new GRO index is correct, but that is obviously causing some confusion.

[lanercost]

The word Union is showing that the Registration District's were originally based on the Poor Law system areas and the names reflected that for a while and is how the district was named on the register .... nothing to do with being born in the workhouse.

Makes sense, thanks.

To explain this ... an unmarried woman has no maiden name - so on an illegitimate birth entry the correct entry is a "-".

But, when the indexes used on other sites ( like FreeBMD) were compiled a decision seems to have been taken to (wrongly) repeat an unmarried mother's surname as a maiden name which people have got used to.

So you are using two differently compiled indexes - The new GRO index is correct, but that is obviously causing some confusion.

I have a 1843 birth certificate for an illegitimate ancestor, but the father is named. Mary Jane, father is Joseph Douglas, mother is Jane Brown. On the new index, she's Mary Jane Douglas and the mother's maiden name is dashed. Are they right in having a dash here instead of Brown?

[AntonyMMM]

I have a 1843 birth certificate for an illegitimate ancestor, but the father is named. Mary Jane, father is Joseph Douglas, mother is Jane Brown. On the new index, she's Mary Jane Douglas and the mother's maiden name is dashed. Are they right in having a dash here instead of Brown?

Completely correct .... she is unmarried so has no maiden name. On the existing indexes you will probably find the entry indexed as both Douglas and Brown ... would be interesting to know if that is still the case on the new GRO index ?

[lanercost]

I have a 1843 birth certificate for an illegitimate ancestor, but the father is named. Mary Jane, father is Joseph Douglas, mother is Jane Brown. On the new index, she's Mary Jane Douglas and the mother's maiden name is dashed. Are they right in having a dash here instead of Brown?

Completely correct .... she is unmarried so has no maiden name. On the existing indexes you will probably find the entry indexed as both Douglas and Brown ... would be interesting to know if that is still the case on the new GRO index ?

Yup I'm with you. Yes previously both Douglas and Brown.

[AntonyMMM]

Does any body know if you get the pdf file the same day as purchased or do you have to wait a week or so like you normally would?
Also when does it go live, would it be after midnight tonight or later in the morning for such as 9am or later

I am hoping it is instantaneously like census images.

I am telling everyone it will be 9 o'clock but between you and me I think it will be midnight as the census was.

Cheers
Guy

It would be great if that happens but  I suspect the system may be the same as the current way of ordering wills  i.e you submit the order and the pdf will arrive by email some time later....... we shall soon find out !

[Jon_ni]

AntonyMMM that makes sense with the dashes - cheers

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Register_Office_for_England_and_Wales#History_of_the_GRO
"from 1 July 1837. A General Register Office was set up in London and the office of Registrar General was established. England and Wales were divided into 619 registration districts (623 from 1851), each under the supervision of a Superintendent Registrar. The districts were based on the recently introduced poor law unions. The registration districts were further divided into sub-districts (there could be two or more), each under the charge of Registrars who were appointed locally.

A similar process was utilised in Ireland when Civil Registration commenced there in 1865 following from official gov.ie website with slight editing so as not to confuse matters: In the early days, the organisation of the service was based on the "unions" of parishes set up under the Poor Law (Ireland) Act 1838. Initially, these unions formed the registrars' districts and later the superintendent registrars' districts [when births & deaths started 1864]. The Clerk of the Union was usually the superintendent registrar. The medical officer of the dispensary district was usually also the registrar of births & deaths.
The term Union can be seen at the top of all the 19C births & deaths in the GRO book. It makes sense that they copied the existing proceedure utilised in England.
Sorry need to scroll across to right of image. Effectively it says births in the Sub-District of Lurgan in the District of Lurgan = Union.
[The medical officer may not have acted as the Register in England think that was partly as they were percieved as politically/religiously neutral].

[bradelkington]

it appears to now have a option to use DX (document exchange), so is this the new option ? doesn't appear to mention new lower price? and you have to register with DX to use it?

[candleflame]

Deleted