Would a certificate have been issued to the parents of a stillborn baby born in 1942?
Officially yes, whether this always happened in practice, no. Numerous parents of stillborn babies even up to the 1960s have found the stillbirth of their baby has not been recorded.
If the event had to be certified in 1942 are the certificates held locally or/and in the Central Registry?
All stillbirths from first day of July, nineteen hundred and twenty-seven had to be registered and a stillbirth certificate supplied. The Stillbirth Register is held by the GRO.
Could I apply for copy of the certificate - the parents of the child were my uncle and aunt?
Yes, any person in the world is entitled to apply for a copy of a stillbirth certificate for any stillborn. Parents of the stillborn and siblings of the stillborn, if the parents are deceased have an uncontested right to be supplied with a certificate on payment of the appropriate fee.
All other people must give the Registrar General their reason for wanting a copy of the certificate and it his/her duty to decide whether to allow or disallow their application.
Are details - possible cause of stillbirth? - recorded on the certificate and would place of burial be included. Thanks.
If the cause is known it should be recorded on the certificate, however in many cases the cause is not known, the place of burial is not recorded.
See
http://anguline.co.uk/cert/birth.html for examples of a 1931 stillbirth certificate and a later redacted stillbirth certificate.
Cheers
Guy
PS the cost used to be £15, I am not certain of today's cost