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Archiver > CORNISH > 1998-03 > 0891006132


From: Sandy <>
Subject: Re: WILLIAMS
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1998 05:42:12 -0800 (PST)


Ken,

Perhaps the following will answer your questions...........

I have here a certified copy of an entry of death (i.e. a death
certificate) pursuant to the Births and Deaths Registration Act of
1953...........
(also, an example of a birth entry follows)........

This particular certificate (issued by the Registry Office at Camborne)
states the following for one James Richards:

It lists the Registration District at Redruth
year 1844
Death in the Sub-district of Redruth in the County of Cornwall
Says the entry was No 334
Says he died Fifth June 1844
Wheal Buller
Redruth
name: James Richards
Sex Male
Age 35 years
Occupation Miner
Cause of death: nervous fever
Signature, description and residence information: William Richards present
at the death, Wheal Buller, Redruth;
When registered: Sixth June 1844
Signature of registrar: T. Phillips

it is certified to be a true copy of an entry in a register in my custody,
signed Jayne E. Hooper, Superintendent Registrar.
This is an OFFICIAL certified copy........since photocopies of the
originals are not made.

Now then......I ALSO have here an official Certified Copy of an entry of
Birth Pursuant to the Births and Deaths Registration Act of 1953
This Birth is 1845 in the Registration District of Redruth, Birth in the
Sub-District of Illogan, in the County of Cornwall;
No. 493; When and where: Twenty second of June 1845 at Illogan
Name Mary Ann
Sex: girl
Father: William Jennkin
Mother: Elizabeth Jenkin formerly Richards
Occupation of father: Miner
Signature, description and resience of informant:
William Jenkin, father, Treskillard
When registered: Twenty sixth of July 1845
Signature of registrar: Edwd Nettell

again, this is issued by Jayne E. Hooper

I also have an official copy of a marriage certificate for parents of the
above Mary Ann Jenkin (i.e. for William Jenkin and Elizabeth Richards) if
that is of interest to you.

These "civil registrations" began in England in 1837, I believe (somebody
please correct this, if I am mistaken on the date!)

Prior to this, births, marriages and deaths are found recorded in the
Parish Registers of individual parishes.....i.e. in the cases of the above,
you would go to the Parish Register of Illogan, or in the case of James
Richards death, the Parish of Redruth. The amount of information recorded
in the register varies. Sometimes the vicar made a few informative
notes....other times he may have jusdt entered by the date, for example
"Mary Ann, daughter of William Jenkins and Elizabeth, miner, Treskillard."
In any case, you would know the precise location (i.e. in a particular
parish in Cornwall, rather than somewhere in England)....because the record
is recorded in that parish's register.

In the U.S., registration dates vary by state, I believe......I know that
in North Carolina, this did not begin until about 1917 or so!! And, of
course, the U.S. did not have the requirements of parish registers which we
find in Britain.
Nonetheless, when you get to the date of required registrations, you *will*
find similarly precise details are provided. For example, the precise
location of birth (including the county, quite often the town...and even
the hospital, if birth was in one) are given.
HOWEVER, you should always bear in mind that for DEATH CERTIFICATES, the
deceased (obviously) does NOT provide the details....so the opportunity for
mistake exists!! The person providing the details for the death
certificate MAY have *thought* the person was born on a given date, or was
of a given age, and this may be in error.....as may be the *place* they
thought the deceased was born. Children, spouses, or even neighbors may be
the ones providing the death certificate information, so caution should be
exercised when taking that information as fact.

I hope this answers your questions. The information provided *is* quite
detailed, and while your ancestor MAY have referred to himself as "born in
England," any record of his birth would actually be very much more precise
than this.

-Sandy

--------------------------------------------------

Ken wrote:
>I appreciate your reply. My answer was a genealogical one and aimed
>specifically at the question of what it says on a death certificate. I am
>from the state of Nebraska and have a sense of pride about the state. I
>doubt however that when I die and a birth certificate is issued that my
>descendants can expect too much from it as far as place of birth.

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