Genealogy Chat

Salty Its 56p. OC

Glenn as an regular user of my local studies library, i can say without dought, the tv programe hardly made any difference to GRO times a few months ago, yes the first series the library was bursting with newbies, who mostly soon dropt off when they realised that searching for hours on a fische machine was involved, then we had the second series and the Gro backlog, the library was dead and quiter than at any time in the last 3 years, but i think seasoned researchers had now got the GRO indexs free on Ancestry, which would have cost hundreds to go through a family line at 1837, i for several weeks was ordering 10 to 20 certs a week, it is this that caused the back log, not the tv program and i dought any other series will have much impact again.

OK Glen next ones come from the local reg office. Rod ps whats one twentyfifth of fourteen pounds!!!

They are lucky if they can afford to be grumpy - my local Register Office has just cut staff hours AGAIN because the Staff dont have enough to do. I ALWAYS use local unless I absolutely HAVE to use the GRO. I ALWAYS ask for a photocopy and have got it every time with two exceptions - both times they phoned to tell me the register was too fragile to photocopy and did I therefore still want the certs? Various staff at various local ROs have gone to endless trouble for me, searching on the vaguest of information, phoning me to ask me if I think such and such is right and not charging a penny for any of this. And - I have six certs from local offices, which never made it to the GRO - absolutely unheard of, say the GRO, but nevertheless I've got SIX. OC

Paul I'd be tempted to play the grumpy old man The staff are employed by the local authority,you pay towards the wages and ofices through tax,you deserve the respect of those staff,they are after all employed to deal with requests such as those you may make. Contact the head of the department that is responsible for them. Glen

Paul You are right, there are one or two offices who do begrudge family historians making them work but thankfully they are in the minority (Harrogate being one of them - where I live). But the rest of them are absolutely fantastic and I cannot sing their praises highly enough. Snowdrops

Hi Although it would be quicker for me to pick up most of my certificates from the local office, 5 mins walk from me, I have found that some of the staff are not that helpfull and appear to begrudge my requests. That's why I now order all my certificates through GRO even though it does take some time to arrive. Paul

But Glen it's not that hard to find the correct offices (especially now you have a good a-z list of them). You can also go on Genuki and put the place you are looking for in the search box, follow the links and it will tell you where the local office is for that place Alternatively go here http://www.fhsc.org.uk/genuki/reg/regoff.html#619 for a complete and comprehensive listing of all registry offices

Hi Glenn, I'm a bit wary of local offices having had 2 certs that were mistranscribed by the staff. Those that photocopy are fine, though. Gwynne

No problem Rachel. Yes you are right,the office you need is the office local to the birth/marriage/death. So a birth in Lincoln would mean contacting Lincoln,a birth in York means contacting York etc. The donkey work is finding the details first time round,after that you have the contact details and it's far easier 2nd time around. Glen

Glen, you convinced me about the local offices ages ago, but you can claim me for your total LOL. Unfortunately, Mum's family tend to come from the London area and I have to order from the GRO. Lynn

Yes, Glen has just pm'd me about that. It doesn't take much to get me confused! I suppose you have to contact the office where the bmd was registered and it looks like from posts on here that some have an online service. I'll have to look into this further. Thank you for your help. Rachelxx

Sent a pm to Rachel,the Lewes RO have an online application facility for bmd certs. Glen

Rachael - from your reply above it sounds like you're getting the Records Office and the Registry Office mixed up - they are two separate places doing two different things! The records office deal with pre 1837 stuff and the registry office with post 1837 stuff - hope that makes sense to you? Snowdrops

The Isle of Wight FHS have a free BMD with a link online to print out an application form. The turn around is very fast.

Thanks Glen & Snowdrops - when I went to Lewes recently they were so busy & short staffed that I had to wait ages to see documents from their archive. I'm still waiting for copies of documents and photos which I ordered. I won't want to burden them anymore. I'll have to look at your threads Glen to see if I can order certs from my local council, though when ever I've been there I've usually had a long wait to see anybody.

Rachel The local offices will usually take postal and telephone orders,i have a thread with contact details for quite a few offices,but you can also find the details by googling the name of the local council,or from Genuki. Some counties are now offering online bmd index facilities,and links direct to the offices. If you need any help with contact details give me a shout,i will try to help as best i can. Glen

Rachael You don't order them off the internet you send for them (mostly) through good old fashioned mail. There are a few local offices who will accept orders off the internet but in the main I have found most only do a postal service. Even if they do internet orders they ALSO accept postal orders. There is no reason (usually) on this earth not to use the local registry offices - they really are great. Try them just once - you'll never go back, promise!!!

Two weeks ago on the MONDAY I sent off for 4 death certs to REIGATE local reg office. They received the request on the TUESDAY and I received my 4 certs NEXT DAY on the Wednesday. What a service!!!!! GRO would have taken at least 2 weeks. I always use the local offices.I requested a birth cert for my Father's brother from Lewis and the Father's name I gave didn't match with their entry. They telephoned me to tell me this and didn't charge at all for the call or the time spent looking. The GRO charge at least £3 for the privelege of looking.

If i convince 1 person the local offices are worth using my threads have been useful. If i convince 10 then all the better. If i convince 25 then Heather and Merry have promised me £7 apiece. (They don't know yet,so spread the word discretely) Glen