Ordering Bmd certificates by post

[kooky]

Thanks for help and suggestions!
Kooky

[Glen in Tinsel Kni]

Re using local offices

You can order certs from the office local to the event (some counties now centralise everything to provide a countywide service). Ordering & payment options vary, the best way to check is to use the registrars pages from the relevant county council website.

Northumberland as an example is split into regions with the main office based at County Hall, Morpeth.


Birth and death certificates are relatively easy, although you don't need the gro reference it's useful as a guide to when the event would have been registered.


Marriage certificates are somewhat different as each marriage veneue (eg church or chapel) use their own register.  In any district there are a large number of venues and therefore a large number of registers, without knowing the venue it's very unlikely the registrars would be able to search through them to locate a particular marriage.

I've used many local offices over the years for birth and death certs plus the odd marriage cert where I've found a news report or perhaps a transcription of a register to identify where it took place. Most of the time they are quicker than the GRO but you have to do a bit of work yourself in advance. Price wise they usually match with the GRO though some may charge postage.

The main reasons I use them is that they have the original registers and whenever possible I ask for  a copy of the original rather than a transcription. It removes the steps where errors can creep in with GRO certificates due to the multiple transcriptions used in process.......note though that not every office is able to oblige and may issue a handwritten or typed certificate based on the original register.



https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/Registration/Order-a-copy-certificate.aspx#orderacopycertificate

[Tickettyboo]

If the local registrar has the facility to copy the register entry onto a certificate, that is good, though as England is on lockdown at least for a month, lots of registrars do not have enough staff on the premises to process orders for historical certificates. Their more pressing and recent duties, quite rightly, take precedence.

Another option, if the marriage took place in a church, unless you particularly want a marriage entry on a posh piece of paper at £11, Northumberland Archives (again currently closed) do a digital copy of the Original Parish Register Entry for £4.50.
For me that's the best option as I can have 2 from the Archives for the price of 1 from a Registrar and still have £2 left

Boo

[kooky]

Thank you both for your interest.
Lots to think about.
Kooky

[Guy Etchells]

If the local registrar has the facility to copy the register entry onto a certificate, that is good, though as England is on lockdown at least for a month, lots of registrars do not have enough staff on the premises to process orders for historical certificates. Their more pressing and recent duties, quite rightly, take precedence. snip

Let's get things clear once and for all, one of the reasons for the inception of civil registration was to prove inheritence, i.e. family history.
The Registrar, the Supeintendant Registrar and the Registrar General do not have the option to decide what request for a certificate has priority over any other. All three have a duty to supply a copy of any, repeat any, entry in a register in their care on payment of the fee.

Cheers
Guy

[Marmalady]

If the local registrar has the facility to copy the register entry onto a certificate, that is good, though as England is on lockdown at least for a month, lots of registrars do not have enough staff on the premises to process orders for historical certificates. Their more pressing and recent duties, quite rightly, take precedence. snip

Let's get things clear once and for all, one of the reasons for the inception of civil registration was to prove inheritence, i.e. family history.
The Registrar, the Supeintendant Registrar and the Registrar General do not have the option to decide what request for a certificate has priority over any other. All three have a duty to supply a copy of any, repeat any, entry in a register in their care on payment of the fee.

Cheers
Guy

Whilst that is quite true, Guy, but with limited staff (even without the current difficulties due to the pandemic), priority must surely be given to  the registration of current events -- and only once appointments with new parents to register a birth, with the bereaved to register a death, and happy couples to arrange a wedding have been dealt with can any spare time be used to issue copies of certificates whether historical or more recent.
Or are you saying my request for a death certificate from 1840 has greater priority than someone wanting to register a death that happened a few days ago?

[Tickettyboo]

Thank you, Guy I am aware (as I am sure the Registrars at all levels are) of the duty they have.

But current circumstances, by anyone's yardstick, are not normal.

If they have a choice, given the reduced number of staffi that are unable to be at their place of work because they are ill/ in quarantine/ etc, between registering an event (death/ birth or even marriage) or issuing a certificate that is  historical then I would still say that their primary duty would be to attend to the most pressing first.
Though you would possibly disagree, that's fine, its just my opinion.

Boo

[Guy Etchells]

Whilst that is quite true, Guy, but with limited staff (even without the current difficulties due to the pandemic), priority must surely be given to  the registration of current events -- and only once appointments with new parents to register a birth, with the bereaved to register a death, and happy couples to arrange a wedding have been dealt with can any spare time be used to issue copies of certificates whether historical or more recent.
Or are you saying my request for a death certificate from 1840 has greater priority than someone wanting to register a death that happened a few days ago?

Your example does not apply in practice, you are writing about two different Registrars, the 1840 death certificate would be at the Superintendant Registrars office and transacted by his/her staff, registering a new death would be at a local Registrar's office and carried out by him/her.
Each have their own duties legally required to be carried out, they have no choice in the matter.
Cheers
Guy

[Marmalady]

Whilst that is quite true, Guy, but with limited staff (even without the current difficulties due to the pandemic), priority must surely be given to  the registration of current events -- and only once appointments with new parents to register a birth, with the bereaved to register a death, and happy couples to arrange a wedding have been dealt with can any spare time be used to issue copies of certificates whether historical or more recent.
Or are you saying my request for a death certificate from 1840 has greater priority than someone wanting to register a death that happened a few days ago?

Your example does not apply in practice, you are writing about two different Registrars, the 1840 death certificate would be at the Superintendant Registrars office and transacted by his/her staff, registering a new death would be at a local Registrar's office and carried out by him/her.
Each have their own duties legally required to be carried out, they have no choice in the matter.
Cheers
Guy

Have things changed then?
Admittedly it is several years since I last applied to my local Register Office for a historical certificate -- but it was to the same Office with 1 member of staff (don't know her exact rank / designation) that I had attended to give notice of our marriage and later register the birth of our children.