Issuing GRO PDF certificates

[LizzieL]

My OH got two PDF death certs in under a week in the early days of lock down, which was very surprising. Maybe more people are paying for a priority service which will leapfrog over the standard orders, so the queue is getting longer.
The other possibility for my husband's certs (which I mentioned recently on another board) is that they had already been scanned by GRO. He discovered a third cousin had the correct date of death for common g-grandmother on her online tree so I suspect she had already sent for the certs he did. The second cert was for a lady of same name, similar age and death year in the adjacent reg district.

[Josephine]

Thank you for that explanation, Guy. Now I understand why marriages aren't available in digital format. I've been waiting to purchase several marriage records in the hopes that they would be digitized at some point. So many certificates on my wish list, so little money. Sigh.

Regards,
Josephine

[Dinkydidy]

Got my second death certificate PDF a week after the first one. Still can't quite understand why they weren't processed at the same time, when they were on the same order. 

I have a couple more in the pipeline, so will try to be patient.

For those asking elsewhere why people are even ordering them at a time of staff shortages - it's because those of us family history fanatics in lockdown are spending even more time than usual poring over our family trees.

[Josephine]

What are GRO certificates please and where are the issued from??

I can't tell if this question is serious or in jest, because of the grinning emoji. But, in case it was serious, GRO = the General Register Office, for birth, death and marriage records in the UK: https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/.

Regards,
Josephine

[Tickettyboo]

Thank you for that explanation, Guy. Now I understand why marriages aren't available in digital format. I've been waiting to purchase several marriage records in the hopes that they would be digitized at some point. So many certificates on my wish list, so little money. Sigh.

Regards,
Josephine

Depending on the time frame and whether or not it was church or civil ceremony, it may be a cheaper option to order a copy from the original register from whichever county archives is relevant.

For example, Northumberland Archives charge £4.50 for a copy (scanned and clear as a bell) of a marriage register entry. For that you get a copy (complete with original signatures as its from the book they signed the day they wed) for  a lot less than the £11 for an official GRO cert.

Though, of course the archives are also closed at the moment, but its worth bearing in mind for the future.

Boo

[Josephine]

Thank you, Boo, that's a great suggestion, and I will definitely look into that option!

Regards,
Josephine

[feebeejones]

Josephine - many thanks for the clarification - not in jest - I’m just new and grin was my attempt at being friendly. A gain- many thanks

[Andrew Tarr]

For example, Northumberland Archives charge £4.50 for a copy (scanned and clear as a bell) of a marriage register entry. For that you get a copy (complete with original signatures as its from the book they signed the day they wed) for a lot less than the £11 for an official GRO cert.

Valuable info, Boo, and I guess it will include Durham county as much of their archive is shared?  What other counties do you know of offering a similar advantage?

[Tickettyboo]

I mainly get records from Northumberland and Durham so not sure about other archives.
If it helps anyone I do my best to find a date and church. Family Search can often give me that depending on time frame or sometimes marriage announcements in old newspapers.
If I only have a year and quarter rather than a date/church then archives become more expensive as it then falls into the category of 'research' rather than a copy request and the price zooms so if I come across that scenario I revert to the GRO option.

Durham have what they call a quick search service, online order and payment and then they email the image, costs £5 per record and really is quick. Those images tend to be from microfilm but ones I have had have been clear.

Northumberland is slightly more complex, no online ordering (though they keep telling me they are working on it) and you email a request, they send you a copyright form, you can sign that digitally and email it back. Then you have to ring the archives and pay over the phone, cost earlier this year was £4.50. After all that they will email the image to you.
I am hoping their time working from home has got them a bit nearer to an online order system :-)

Not sure when either service will resume and if the cost will have changed, though I have lists at the ready for when they are available again.

I am sure other archives do similar copying services, but don't know details, check archives sites you are interested in and I am sure the sites will have that sort of info.

Boo