Genealogy Chat

Is it possible to view the statutory declarations made to change statements made on a birth certificate in 1933.

I only have a copy of one birth certificate, which refers to a statutory declaration, but it is a much earlier date than you mention. ie. early 1900s. and is for a birth in 1880s.

The information which requires changing is listed on the far right-hand side of the certificate.

Thanks Gwyn, I've seen that information and the people's names that apply to change the original information. By reading those peoples declarations I be able to why the changes were made. Can they be read.

I don't know if that information is available.

The birth certificate I have is for a 'girl' and was registered by the mother, who made her mark.
Judging from the dates,I am guessing that when the child was perhaps coming up to working age, the birth certificate was brought out for proof of age and the parents made a statutory declaration that the 'girl' was in fact a boy.
He had a name which maybe was misheard and so registered as a girl, but later he married and fathered 2 children
I don't think there was ever any doubt about his gender, but perhaps after registration, his certificate was tucked away and only many years later the errors were found.

Thanks Gwyn

Ask the GRO:

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/contact_us.asp

Thanks to all, I've written to the GRO today.

No reply from Gro so far.

They're still working under lockdown conditions.

When you say you "wrote", do you mean you sent a letter by post?

Try sending a message online.
On the page to which I gave you the link earlier, scroll down to "Query or complaint" and click "online form".
You have to fill in details on several pages before you can actually send your message, but having done that, you might get a quicker reply

The GRO are processing only URGENT requests

From their website

If your order is not urgent, please help us to support those who need our services the most by coming back at a later date to apply.

Yes I did send a letter to the GRO.

Herd from the Gro today, they referred me back to the the office where the declarations
we're originally made. Who had advised me to contact Gro. :-(

Declarations are made for all sorts of reasons

For instance a child born before marriage and reg in mums surname will be legitimised if the parents later marry and they inform the registry office

A declaration made to thar effect will resulting a new cert being issued

The records will refer to the month that the declaration was made

As you are looking for a specific explanation is there any circumstance that may have caused a declaration to be made ?

The mother made a declaration to remove the father on the certificate.

Could the mother have been married at the time of the child's birth and so her husband was named as the father although he wasn't actually the father? If the marriage later broke up she may have wanted her husband's name removed from the certificate.

Kath. x

The person who was removed was married to somebody else.

In that case perhaps the mother put this man's name on the certificate as father without his knowledge or permission. In those days if you were not married to the father of a child you were not allowed to name him on the certificate unless the assumed father was present at the registration or made a declaration admitting paternity.

Kath. x

Thanks Kath

Here I am again going around circles, I sent the information that I requested previously
To the Lewisham registry office. They now inform that it had been sent to the Gro.
But cannot be seen under the data protection act. :-( this event was in 1933.

100-year rule, I would imagine.