Openshaw birth registrations

[IsobelB]

I would like to know where the birth of an ancestor Louisa Smith who was born in Openshaw near Manchester in 1849 would have been registered, can anyone on the forum help please?

[BumbleB]

Openshaw would come under the Registration District of Chorlton.

https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/chorlton.html

[BumbleB]

It is possible that Louisa's birth was not registered - not compulsory until the 1870's.

[ColC]

There is this baptism nearby on Freereg?

Louisa SMITH   Baptism   29 Oct 1849   Lancashire   Harpurhey : Christ Church : Parish Register

Father William a Merchant mother Louisa. Abode Collyhurst

Colin

[ColC]

1861 - Little Green, Cheetham, Manchester on freecen.

SMITH   William   Head   46   Dyer And Finisher LAN Newton Heath      
SMITH   Louisa   Wife   42              LAN   Harpurhey      
SMITH   Margaret   Dau   15   Scholar   LAN   Cheetham      
SMITH   Mary A   Dau   14   Scholar   LAN   Cheetham      
SMITH   William   Son   12   Scholar   LAN   Cheetham      
SMITH   Louisa   Dau   11   Scholar   LAN   Cheetham      
SMITH   Victoria   Dau   9   Scholar   LAN   Cheetham      
SMITH   John   Son   -   8   Scholar   LAN   Cheetham      
SMITH   Ahnes   Dau   6   Scholar   LAN   Cheetham      
SMITH   Alfred   Son   4              LAN   Cheetham      
BUCKLEY   Hannah   Servnt   30      LAN   Manchester      
PRITCHARD Elizabeth   Servnt   18   STS   Wolverhampton      

Colin

[ColC]

So if the above is the correct Louisa?

SMITH, LOUISA       DRINKWATER 
GRO Reference: 1849  D Quarter in MANCHESTER  Volume 20  Page 494

William Smith married Louisa Drinkwater
03/12/1843 Harpurhey, Christ Church Lancashire

Colin

[stanmapstone]

It is possible that Louisa's birth was not registered - not compulsory until the 1870's.

Under the 1836 Registration Act, Section XVIII, registration was compulsory in the case of the Registrar. The onus was on him to collect births and deaths. In carrying out his duties the parents were compelled, under the Act, Section XX, to supply the information when asked.

A penalty not exceeding £2 was introduced in Section 39 of the 1874 Registration of Births & Deaths Act, for “failing to give information concerning the birth…….. as required by the said Acts”. There was also a penalty for late registration in the 1874 Act, as in the 1836 Act.

Stan

Stan

[BumbleB]

Oops - sorry Stan 

[AntonyMMM]

As Stan points out it certainly was compulsory - at least that was the intent of the legislation. It was just that the responsibility lay with the registrar to gather the information. But it is clear that registrars weren't walking around their whole district knocking on doors to enquire if there had been any births or deaths in the house that week - so people would, mainly, be expected to come to him.

There are some interesting letters on the subject from local registrars to GRO in the Registrar General correspondence files at TNA.

There are plenty of examples of parents being taken to court for refusing the information right from the start- In talks I give I use a case from the Quarter Sessions of a mother being prosecuted in 1839.