GRO birth registration contains comment "Occasional Copy: A". What does it mean?

[Elastik]

I needed to purchase a birth certificate from the UK GRO. Looking up the registration I see the phrase "Occasional Copy: A" has been added to the usual GRO 2-line registration. Does anyone know what this means? I've never come across it before. Thanks for any assistance.

[Rosinish]

I'm sure I read somewhere it meant a correction/change had been made after the initial registration?

Annie

[Rosinish]

There's a thread with the same query here by another RCer...

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=860412.msg7315802#msg7315802

Annie

[Elastik]

I think you are right. Somebody on another genealogy site asked the GRO to explain. This is what they got back -

"...These are going to be instances where the original registration has been amended in some way, requiring an “occasional copy” to be sent to the Registrar General (ie to supersede the original Quarterly Certified Copy).

They won’t be late registrations, which would be sent in with the Quarterly Certified returns for the relevant quarter..."

The enquirer then asked the GRO if a copy of the original (mistaken) registration would still be available. They replied -

"...If a change has resulted in a re-registration of a birth, the new entry effectively supersedes the earlier one. The earlier entry remains in the index, but would have to be identified in the usual way and a copy of that earlier entry specifically ordered.

GRO would routinely issue the latest entry unless the customer specifically requests and references the earlier entry and if the earlier entry was provided, GRO would enclose a covering letter stating that this Certificate cannot be used for Official Purposes..."

This is as clear as mud. "...the original registration has been amended in some way..." In what way? I understand that the GRO is saying that you could still locate the original registration BUT you would have to know EXACTLY what to ask for. How would you know what to ask for? Baffling.

[Elastik]

Thanks for the link. I read it. It may apply to my case. I am looking at a birth registration for a person (say Ann Smith) who has different details on the GRO and on FreeBMD. The birth year is 1929. On the GRO her MMN is given as - (a hyphen). On FreeBMD her MMN is given as Smith (ie. the same as the child).

I assume this means that the child was born out of wedlock & took its mother's surname. But this is omitted on the GRO registration. I'm none the wiser really about what has been amended or why.

[Rosinish]

different details on the GRO and on FreeBMD. The birth year is 1929. On the GRO her MMN is given as - (a hyphen). On FreeBMD her MMN is given as Smith (ie. the same as the child).

Do both have the same ref. no?

It would be an ask to expect the indexes to supply reasons for changes?

Annie

[Elastik]

Yes, same Volume & Page number.

[Dundee]

I am looking at a birth registration for a person (say Ann Smith) who has different details on the GRO and on FreeBMD. The birth year is 1929. On the GRO her MMN is given as - (a hyphen). On FreeBMD her MMN is given as Smith (ie. the same as the child).

You are not going to know anything unless you purchase the certificate.

As the GRO has not indexed a maiden surname then the mother's name does not have the word  'formerly' preceding it.  A birth which names a father as John SMITH and mother as Mary JONES will not have the maiden name indexed.  The GRO have no way of knowing if JONES is her maiden surname.  She might be the errant wife of Mr JONES.

If the mother only is named but no father then the maiden surname will still not be indexed for the same reasons.

The later birth registrations from the 'old' indexes that you see on FreeBMD usually index the surname used by the mother regardless.

It is usually not very difficult to find registrations that are indexed twice on FreeBMD.

Debra 

[phil57]

Ordering the single copy may provide an explanation. If it doesn't, you can try again to obtain the original copy. But one I ordered recently was the original copy with a post dated addition in the margin to the effect that the couple concerned had returned to the registration office having both signed a declaration that the named father was not in fact the father, which resulted in his name being removed from the entry and the mother's (and child's) last name reverting to her maiden name.

Attempting to order the original copy as well would have served no purpose, as it was completely clear what had happened, and the copy provided was a copy of the original entry with additional text subsequently added