Tomorrow's the Day!

About two months ago the U. K. Government Records Office (U.K. GRO) announced that they would begin sending digital images (PDFs) of civil birth and death records.  Instead of the usual £9.00 per record (about $12.00 U.S.), the cost for digital records is £6.00 (about $9.00 U.S.).  Having searched for a number of years for records of family, I now have a short list of four records I'd like to order.

What's the hold-up with ordering them, you  may wonder.  Why not in October or November?  Not to bore you with the reasons for and details of the astonishing and unexpected charges to our credit card these past two months, let's just say it was wisdom to wait for a new month to charge four death records.  (Unless, of course, December proves to be similar to October and November when it comes to emergencies and accidents -- which I hope it doesn't!)

This is what a GRO brochure tells me I will probably find on a death record, all based on how much the informant knows or doesn't know:

• Column 1:  Number
• Column 2:  Where and when the person died, which have been at home, at a hospital, or in a workhouse
• Column 3:  Name and surname
• Column 4:  Age
• Column 5:  Occupation
• Column 6:  Cause of death (certified = given by a doctor in medical attendance of the deceased)
• Column 7:  Signature, description, and residence of informant (relationship not given until 1875)
• Column 8:  When registered (certificate needed before a burial could take place)
• Column 9:  Signature of registrar

These are the individuals whose records I will order:

1. Eliza Armitage
   Age 44, 1856, D Quarter, Stockton, Volume 10A, Page 54
2. Martha Richardson
   Age 59, 1868, Jan-Feb-Mar, Tynemouth, Northumberland, Born ~1809, Volume 10B, Page 126, Line 285
3. William Doyle
   1838, Oct-Nov-Dec, Castle Ward, Morpeth, Northumberland, Volume 25, Page 149, Line 26
4. Martha Doyle
   1838, Jul-Aug-Sep, Morpeth, Northumberland, Volume 25, Page 162, Line 16

I hope the records are for the right people and will have enough information to identify them as my family members.  I chose these particular records based on census information (the last census in which they were found and its location), marriage information (where married).

Have you ordered U.K. records?  If so, have you been able to definitely tell that they are your ancestors based on the information in the records?

--Nancy.

Copyright ©2017 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.
.