Search birth certificates using mother's first name?

[AndyH81]

Hi all,

I was just wondering if anyone can think of a way that I might be able to search for a UK birth certificate using the mother's first and last names? The birth would have taken place in the mid 70s, so I can't use the GRO site because those records are missing.

Basically, it is possible my mother had another child prior to my birth. I know the approx. year this would have happened and also the county (assuming she wasn't taken elsewhere in secret). If I do a search on FreeBDM there are, naturally, multiple births from women with the same surname in the region, so the only way of narrowing it down would be to use my mother's first name(s) too.

I would attempt to access her medical records but I know I am not able to do so. The only information we have to suggest this is an old birth record for myself which shows she had 1 prior admission, but we're not sure whether it suggests a birth, miscarriage, or an abortion, so I am trying to do a bit of detective work to see if I can solve the mystery.

Many thanks,
Andy

[BumbleB]

Apologies - are we to assume that you do not have a copy of your own birth certificate?

[JenB]

Apologies - are we to assume that you do not have a copy of your own birth certificate?

I'm confused - what makes you think Andy doesn't have a copy?

[BumbleB]

Urrrrmh!!! 

[Girl Guide]

Are we to assume that your mother was not married when she had this child in the mid 1970s?

When you mention the region, are you referring to a general area or a registration district?

[AndyH81]

Yes, I have a copy of my own birth certificate - but I'm not sure that has any relevance?

Assuming an older sibling even exists, no, she would not have been married at the time. She and my father met when she was 16, so the child would have been born when she was 14/15, so sometime around '75-'76.

Is there a way to search on a mother's first name as well as her maiden name?

[mckha489]

Not as far as I am aware.
But if it was an illegitimate birth you will be able to rule out all the births that have a different mother’s maiden name.

Which at least might reduce it to a manageable number to investigate

[AndyH81]

Are we to assume that your mother was not married when she had this child in the mid 1970s?

When you mention the region, are you referring to a general area or a registration district?

So, I know where she was living at the time the pregnancy would have happened - but if it was kept a secret, then I know of two other specific towns which she had connections to which might be the place of birth.

It's a long shot, I know. If I were able to request medical records, it would be easy to know either way... but I'm just trying to think of the next most obvious way to narrow it down.

[AndyH81]

Not as far as I am aware.
But if it was an illegitimate birth you will be able to rule out all the births that have a different mother’s maiden name.

So, I've been searching for births in the areas it could be, using her maiden name as a search feature - but without being able to see first names, I can't think of another way to narrow it down.

I did find one record that would have been around the right time, in the right location, with the right maiden name with the child's name left blank. Would that happen if a baby had perhaps been adopted?