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Archiver > LONDON > 2004-01 > 1073065316


From: Eve McLaughlin <>
Subject: Re: [Lon] Understanding each other
Date: Fri, 2 Jan 2004 17:41:56 +0000
In-Reply-To: <006b01c3d06f$8c1c0660$707c2750@diane>


In message <006b01c3d06f$8c1c0660$>, Diane Wynne
<> writes
>I have a recollection, which I cannot substantiate, that at that time
>(1960s) certificates were subsidised by the government. I remember my first
>visit to look at the indexes - I was the only person there.
That was fairly unusual, since the space available in Somerset House was
very limited galleries, one person and a half wide, with a ledge to put
the books on - and you had to prepay for access to five years' worth of
indexes. The porters watched you like a hawk and moving on to one
quarter over the five years. I remember back when certificates went up
from 2s 6d to 4s 6d, and we thought this was the absolute end. I do
still have 'spares' or mismatches from that date, which I use for
teaching. Translated into today's terms, the collection is quite
valuable, but I can't see the Antiques Road Show people agreeing.

There was always a provision for one cheap certificate for essential
purposes - primary issue for infants or at death or marriage (inclusive
in fee), or (if you lost the first one over the years) obtaining one for
National Insurance or pensions claims. No one was assumed to need one
otherwise (and passport applications were the largest usage in the 60s,
which attracted the full price)
I do not know of any other official subsidy - these subsidies were only
given for social reasons and people with financial problems simply were
not supposed to travel abroad or take up hobbies of any sort. The sums
charged were economic for the (different) times, representing actual
costs of production and (more importantly) employment of staff.

--
Eve McLaughlin

Author of the McLaughlin Guides for family historians
Secretary Bucks Genealogical Society

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