Why Two Records of Birth?

[dowdstree]

It is possible Forfarian.

I have a close family member who was illegitimate - born in 1934 in Edinburgh. His mother was a widow of some years and she look the child's father to Court. The gentleman in question admitted paternity.

The birth is indexed under 3 surnames - Mother's maiden surname, Mother's married surname and Father's surname. All entries have the same index number.

Dorrie

[dowdstree]

On checking his marriage in 1965 and death in 1988 they are all indexed under the 3 surnames too.

Dorrie

[Forfarian]

Thanks for checking, Dorrie.

[ADP]

I have 12 births in my family tree from the 1860s to the 1930s where there are two birth certificates. They were where the birth took place in one district and the family home was in another district. The birth would be registered in the birth parish and that record transcribed into the 'home' district register. In the column with the registrar's signature it should have words to the effect of "transcribed from the register of ........ district". The transcribed one often has the registered date a day or two after the original birth certificate. The date of birth is unchanged between the two documents.

This often occurred in the first birth in a family and often where the mother would go to stay with her mother for the birth; and presumably learn from her experience in such matters. It was also before the days of most births taking place in a maternity hospital, when it usually took place at home.

ADP

[Forfarian]

Yes, that was the standard procedure.

It's easy to tell which is which.

The situation described by ADP results in two index listings with different references.

If the references in the index are the same it's one record indexed twice (or more), whether it's a birth, marriage or death. This can refer to someone who is illegitimate, or someone who is legitimate but known by a stepfather's surname, or a woman who has been married more than once.

[geordiemac48]

Thankyou argyllshiregirl, you answered my question before I even put it on here. My Cousin once removed was born in Stirling, late October 1918 and registered there on 1st Nov and Transcribed on 2nd Nov in Edinburgh, where his parents normally resided. One puzzling question answered.