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Archiver > CHESHIRE > 2002-12 > 1038959249


From: Brett Langston <>
Subject: Re: [CHS] BMD Certificates
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 23:47:29 GMT


The message <>
from contains these words:

> I just ordered and received 2 birth
> certificates from the East Macclesfield Sub-district office. What I
> received
> were type written forms, "Pursuant to the Births and Deaths
> Registration Act
> 1953," of the entries, NOT a copy of the actual form or listing.

What you are normally supplied with is a 'Certified copy' of a birth,
marriage or death entry. Usually this is *not* a photocopy of the
original entry, although some registrars have begun to provide this
facility. However, there's no obligation for them to produce anything
more than a handwritten transcript on the appropriate form.

Incidentally, if you apply to the General Register Office at Southport,
then the certificates they provide are *all* handwritten copies, because
the GRO only have transcripts of the original entries. This may not be
obvious at first glance either.


> In column 7
> on one of the forms where it asks for "Signature, description, and
> residence
> of informant" the entry is:
> X The mark of
> Sarah (surname)
> Father
> Black Road
> Macclesfield
> Obviously Sarah is not the father
> I do plan to contact the office to see where the mistake was made.

If the mistake was made on the original, then the registrars are obliged
to copy the error, however blatantly wrong it may appear! But if it's
an oversight on the part of the person writing/typing the certificate,
then they should send you a replacement free of charge.


> I had ordered and received 2 marriage certificates previosly and although
> they were on a "Marriage Act of 1949" form, they were a copy of the actual
> register entry.

That is the exception rather than the rule, so it sounds like you struck
lucky :-)

Hope this helps,

Brett Langston
The Family History Society of Cheshire
www.fhsc.org.uk

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