Frequently Asked Questions

Table of Contents

1. Why can't I find a Will for my wealthy ancestor?
2. Can you find my ancestors in London?
3. I don't want you to order a certificate unless the parents are x and y
4. Can you obtain a BM&D certificate from Scotland?
5. Can you obtain a BM&D certificate from the Channel Islands?
6. Can you obtain a BM&D certificate from the Isle of Man?
7. Can you obtain a BM&D certificate from Northern Ireland?
8. Can you obtain a BM&D certificate from Eire?
9. Why can't I find my ancestors birth in the GRO index?

Why can't I find a Will for my wealthy ancestor?

Some reasons why probate documents cannot be located -

• It is estimated that 70% of the population today do not make a Will. Before the twentieth century this figure was much higher.
• You will rarely find a Will of a married woman prior to the passing of the Married Women's Property Act of 1882. Prior to that all her possessions were legally the property of her husband. Widows and spinsters, however, may have left Wills.
• The deceased may not have made a Will and shared out any property amongst the family before death, possibly to avoid payment of inheritance tax or death duties.
• The estate has been probated but a copy of the Will or administration was not sent by the local probate office to the Principal Registry of the Family Division (formerly The Probate Registry) and is therefore not shown in the PRFD index. You will need to contact the appropriate probate office. (Post-1858 probate only).
• The provisions of the Will could not be met and the estate has not been settled yet.
• The deceased may have left a valid Will but without naming any executors, or may have appointed executors who died before the deceased, or who refused to act.
• The deceased may have left a Will (but few assets) and if there was no dispute as to who should benefit, the will may not have been proved in order to save the cost of applying to court for probate. Wills that were not proved have rarely survived, but some remain with family papers.
• The will may have taken much longer than the years searched to complete the probate process if any disputes arose regarding the proper ownership of land or property. This can happen when deeds are missing from family papers. Extend the search further if you believe a Will existed.

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Can you find my ancestors in London?

There is no easy answer to this often put question. London grew from a small fortified city to the sprawling metropoplis that exists today. Prior to the early 19th century, anyone saying that they were from London would imply the City of London. Places such as Hackney, Stepney, Marylebone, etc. were not strictly part of London until the formation of the London County Council in 1888.

Searching for births, marriages and deaths of ancestors after 1837 is not too much of a problem unless they have fairly common names. The sheer number of churches within the City of London, Middlesex, and parts of Kent and Surrey, and the fact that the IGI does not cover them all makes research difficult if your ancestors moved around.

Apart from the 1881 census full transcript, there are only a few name indexes that cover some of the other censuses.

If your ancestor gave more precise details of their birthplace then research is a little bit easier. To be told that they lived in the shadow of the Tower of London is not enough!

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I don't want you to order a certificate unless the parents are x and y

In England & Wales the Birth, Marriage and Death registers are NOT open to public inspection, except for marriages that took place in a church. The public may only search the indexes to Births, Marriages and Deaths and order a certified copy of an entry in the register to learn any details.

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Can you obtain a BM&D certificate from Scotland?

[This is the answer to the question.]

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Can you obtain a BM&D certificate from the Channel Islands?

The Channel Islands are not part of the United Kingdom, but are dependencies of the Crown. Civil registration of births and deaths commenced in Guernsey in 1840, in Jersey in 1842 and on Sark and Alderney in 1925. Civil registration of marriages commenced in 1842 in Jersey but only in 1919 in Guernsey, Alderney and Sark.

Jersey registers are held by -

Guernsey registers are held by -

Alderney registers are held by -

Sark registers are held by -

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Can you obtain a BM&D certificate from the Isle of Man?

Civil registration of births and marriages on the Isle of Man commenced as a voluntary registration system in 1849. It became compulsary for for births and deaths from 1878 and for marriages from 1884. The records are held by -

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Can you obtain a BM&D certificate from Northern Ireland?

The registration of births, marriages and deaths commenced in Northern Ireland from 1 January 1912. The registers are held by -

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Can you obtain a BM&D certificate from Eire?

Civil registration commenced on 1 April 1845 for Protestant marriages and on 1 january 1864 for all births, marriages and deaths. Except for births, marriages and deaths in Northern Ireland from 1912, the registers are held by -

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Why can't I find my ancestors birth in the GRO index?

There are a number of reasons -

• The spelling of the surname is different. The majority of the population were illiterate until the twentieth century. Try other spelling variations.
• Their first name was the same as their mother or father and they were subsequently called by their second forename. Check all birth names registered in the district where they were born.
• Their name was a nickname. Common nicknames are Harry for Henry, Jack for John, Betty for Elizabeth, Molly for Mary, Polly for Mary, Peggy for Margaret, Sally for Sarah, Kitty for Catherine of Katherine.
• You are looking for Jonathan when the abbreviation was Jno. This abbreviation is John or Johannes. The abbreviation for Jonathan is Jonth.
• They were illegitimate. Look under the surname of the mother.
• The entry is missing from the GRO index. Try writing to the local register office if you know where they were born.
• Prior to 1875, parents were not fined if they failed to register a birth. Many assumed that having their child baptised was the process for civil registration.
• Parents had up to 40-days from the date of birth in which to register the birth. Try searching the following quarter.
• Women are registered under their maiden name, not their married name!
• Places of births are not shown in the birth indexes. Instead, registration districts are used. You need to establish in which registration district your ancestors place of birth would have been in.
• An ancestor may have assumed they were born in the place where they grew up. Try and find them on a census with their parents who would probably know better.
• Search the indexes for army births and baptisms, births overseas, births at sea.

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Copyright © 1996-2003 John Hitchcock. All rights reserved.