Genealogy Chat

What's the cheapest way to order a certificate? The GRO charges £8.50 if you can supply the GRO reference. I seem to remember a message on one of these boards saying there was a cheaper way. Crista

Crista, It is cheaper to get it from the local registrar's office, its £7 per certificate, but some of the boundaries have changed over the years,I have found myself occasionally having to apply to one or two registrars before getting the certificate,the postage soon runs away with the money saved on the certificate. June, Preston.Lan.

It was my question originally - I applied to Uckfield by post on Monday and got the certificate back on Wednesday!!! FreeBMD, I tnink tells you what the reg. districts are now. The smaller offices are much quicker than GRO.

FreeBMD is brilliant for giving you all the details you need and telling you exactly where you should send off to for the certificate. I have got all my certificates from their information and it has only cost me 7.00GBP a time.

I agree that the local register offices are quicker and you don't need the GRO Ref just the year and quarter. However, I have often applied to Manchester for a cert and received a letter telling me I have to apply to Salford, even though the district ref is 8d (which is Manchester). The GRO at Southport takes much longer, especially if you give them more than one possible record or they need to do a 3 year search. They told me it would be 'up to 4 weeks' when I applied for 2 certs on 15 June. Needless to say, I'm still waiting! Oh, the joys of family research!!! Lynne Sale CHS

Not all offices will do it. I have two that insist on the precise date & place. I must be unlucky in where the ancestors came from. Margaret

My Dad's side of the family all came from the Yorkshire Dales and the people at the Reg. Office in Harrogate have been brilliant, sending certs. back by return. Most of my other dealings have been with Burnley Reg. Office and, here again, wonderful service, with them phoning me here in Scotland, if they were not 100 per cent sure that the cert. they would send would be the one I wanted. Last week I spent a few days hols. in Burnley and called in at the Reg. Office. I came face-to-face with Val and her colleagues and was treated like an old friend. If you like the personal, friendly touch, where folk are prepared to 'go the extra mile' for you, then I don't think you can beat applying to the relevant Reg. Office. Genuki is brilliant at supplying details of correct Reg. Office and giving full postal addresses and phone numbers. Hazel Dalgety Bay

I followed the advice here and looked for Stanford le Hope in Essex. The answer was Orsett. Looked for Orsett to get address and it is closed and the records are in Brentford or 2 other places. Clicked on Brentford and it is closed and the records spread over 4 other districts. I think I'll wait for 2 weeks and go the the FRO. :((

Thanks for all your replies everyone. I will check out the local registry offices. Crista