Can't find a birth

[Andyc3876]

Hi All,
I have a date of birth for a relative in the 1939 register, it has been updated in 1950, so I guess it is correct. The only problem is I can't find any records of this relative with that date of birth, I have full access on Ancestry. Any ideas what my next steps should be?

[BumbleB]

Unfortunately there are a number of 1939 entries where the year appears to be incorrect for one reason or another.  I would just search for the name and see what comes up. 

[nanny jan]

My grandpa gave an incorrect date of birth on 1939 register.....wrong date/month/year.  He was very surprised when he qualified for a pension....he was older than he thought he was.

Have you searched for a baptism record?  That might give more accurate details but  I have 3 date of birth records for a great aunt;  her birth certificate, her baptism entry and her death certificate ......all show slightly different dates. 

[Andyc3876]

Thanks, I 'stupidly' assumed that the 1939 register would be reliable, especially as it had been corrected. I'll keep trying

[Dundee]

Don't search for a birth on Ancestry, use both FreeBDM and the GRO indexes (pre 1934) for mother's maiden surname.

https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp

Debra 

[Jebber]

Thanks, I 'stupidly' assumed that the 1939 register would be reliable, especially as it had been corrected. I'll keep trying

Because of data protection the transcribers never saw the complete entry, the  Register was transcribed in vertical columns rather than horizontally, then reassembled, so it’s not unusual for some of the dates to be out. As with any transcription one has to allow for errors. The entries were not corrected as such, just additional information added for changes of name on marriage etc.

[Andyc3876]

Thank you all again! This is all really helpful as I am very new to family research 

[BumbleB]

Assuming that the person you are looking for is no longer alive, then perhaps we could assist you, if you give us a name and an idea of location.  Most of us are "up" for a bit of sleuthing! 

[Andyc3876]

That would be fab, yes she passed away I think 1970. So the info I have is she was Jessie Woods and was 34 in 1937, she lived in Manchester at this time and I thought I had found her in 1939 register as Jessie Woods, born 26/05/1902. It says she was married but was living with someone called smith who was a widow. I think this is her as it is in the right area, she had previously had a child out of wedlock, so possibly lied about the marital status. This would then fit with her marrying the said William smith after the war. It then seems she went on to marry Clifford Minshall. I could have the wrong person, but this is the only person where the documented facts fit what I know of the family history.
The problem is I can then not find a birth record that fits and so I'm struggling to find her parents (my great grand parents). So anything anyone can tell me would be brilliant!
Thanks in advance