How much have you spent on wrong certificates

[louisa maud]

I did say "if possible" I do realise it isn't possible for everyone to visit local archives, I have even arranged holidays to fit in with where I have wanted to research, luckily my husband likes walking, so I research and he walks

Happy Hunting
LM

[LizzieW]

Too much is the answer, and I have even been known to order certificates I've already got    There's no excuse because my family tree program has a "To Do" list where I enter the names of the certs I want to order sometime.  These are marked as "Open" and when I receive a cert I mark it as "Closed" so all I need to do is check the Closed list before ordering.  I guess there are two snags, occasionally I forget to mark the name as "Closed" and other times I just order certs without putting them on my to do list first.

Of course, if having received the cert I then updated my program it would help. 

[KGarrad]

I have never bought a wrong certificate!

I don't like wasting money, so I do lots and lots of research first.
I use the Free Ancestry Library Edition at my local library, and make the best use I can of free sites (FamilySearch, FreeBMD and so on)

[LizzieW]

I use the Free Ancestry Library Edition at my local library, and make the best use I can of free sites (FamilySearch, FreeBMD and so on)

I always do lots of research on free and paid for sites (except when I re-order the same cert!!) but with common names, sometimes it's impossible to know whether you have the correct certificate or not and it works out cheaper to buy an incorrect certificate, even at £9.25, than take a trip across the UK.

[Treetotal]

I have only bought two wrong birth certificates and that was in the early days of my research.

I applied on three separate ocassions for a marriage certificate from Lancashire Register Office and my money was returned as the details I gave didn't match 
I emailed the office and told them the problem I was having as there was 6 possible matches...they asked me for registration numbers  of the likely matches and the details of the marriage that I was looking for and they gave me the right registration number to order and I sent for it 

Carol

[tillypeg]

I think I've probably bought 5 wrong certs in over 17 years of researching, so some were much cheaper than £9.25.

Always, always put the details onto FreeBMD in a Postem so that you don't order the same one again and to help others. 

Before you order a cert, check FreeBMD to see if there is a Postem to help you.

[PaulThommo]

If Thomas had siblings Henrietta Thompson born 1878 and William Dobson Thompson b 1880, both born Gateshead (from your other posts) then he should be
Dec 1875 Gateshead 10a 810
Thompson, Thomas Murray
mother Dobson

Seems to be nobody else of that name about
Possible marriage
Sep 1903 Burton 6b 682
Thompson, Thomas Murray
Wildes, Beatrice Amelia
Marriage was at Rangemoor, All Saints (Staffordshire BMD)

You could try looking for them in the 1911 census perhaps.
John

Hi John, many thanks for that. You have got the right family, William Dobson Thompson is my grandfather and Thomas M was born in December 1875 in Gateshead (the family had just moved from South Shields). He is on the 1891 census as a 15yr old joiners apprentice living with his parents. I can't (as yet) find him on the 1901 census, there is a Thomas M Thompson boarding with a family in Berkshire, same age, born in South Shields who is a carpenter but I have put it aside for a look at a later date.
I was aware of a Thomas M Thompson marriage in Burton on Trent, my information did not state that he was born in Gateshead so, again, I had put it to one side to try at a later date but now it is more interesting. I will have to buy some more credit from Find my Past to see what information they have re occupation in the 1911 census (family search give no information) and then it could well be ordering a marriage certificate (which is where I started the post!!!!!). A Thomas M Thompson died in Burton upon Trent in 1949 aged 73 which is probably the same person.
Thanks, Paul.
Oooops forgot to mention Thomas and Beatrice Thompson were living happily in Outwoods, Burton upon Trent in the 1911 census

[PaulThommo]

I'm starting to try and find a great uncle of the Thompson family (not quite as common as Smith, but not far off). Thomas Thompson, there are 29 marriages in Gateshead (where he was born) 1895-1925, 27 in South Shields where his parents moved from, 28 in Sunderland which is just down the road and if you cross over the river Tyne to Newcastle there are 21. Oh boy

Do you have a birth date for him and is he on the 1939 Register to check for a wife or children??

Hi Kay, a post further down, Jonw65 has got the right family and put me on a track that could be fruitful. Many thanks, Paul

[Rosinish]

I don't want to count but quite a few!

I have names with so many variants it's invariably going to happen especially with couples with same forenames in same areas & of course elusive ones who's age on index just 'may' be wrong in the hope of finding them 

Annie