1

My great grandmother was born August 21, 1909. Her birth wasn’t registered until October 6th 1909. That’s 46 days, when it’s supposed to be 42 days or a fee is given. Anyone know why this might be?

Harry V.
  • 18,850
  • 5
  • 46
  • 98
floatahhh
  • 21
  • 1
  • 3
    Are you sure that no fine was issued? The fine would not be recorded on the birth certificate. – Chenmunka Jan 06 '24 at 21:05
  • 1
    Related: https://genealogy.stackexchange.com/questions/9615/penalty-for-late-registration-of-birth-in-england – Harry V. Jan 06 '24 at 21:05
  • I’m not sure if there was a fine paid to be honest. But I did read somewhere that after 42 days they are given a notice. If they don’t respond to that notice to go and register they are given a fine. I’m not from the UK so I am curious to this. – floatahhh Jan 06 '24 at 22:59
  • 1
    Hi, welcome to G&FH.SE! Your question could be improved if you told us more about what records you've looked at already and/or how the information about her birthday was passed down in the family. Have you seen a family bible record, a baptism record, a Family Notice in a local newspaper, or anything else besides the birth registration? Do you have the certficate from the GRO or the local Record Office? – Jan Murphy Jan 07 '24 at 01:59
  • 1
    On every single record of her, her birthday is listed as august 21,1909. For example the ship she took to come to North America has that date of birth, her naturalization records. Every record you can think of has that birth. And I have a certificate from the local record office. – floatahhh Jan 07 '24 at 02:39
  • 1
    Please add that information to your question using the edit link under your question. There is more information about how this site works in the [help] such as How do I ask a good question? Someone reading your question and hoping to learn from it can't see what records you've already seen unless you tell us. We are not a forum. Our goal is make a repository of questions and answers, not to have discussions in the comments. – Jan Murphy Jan 08 '24 at 00:05
  • 1
    I don’t know why I would need to show you other records, it’s going to say the same thing born august 21,1909. I asked this question hoping someone might have an answer, not to post a bunch of different records of her. She’s from Islington, London. Her GRO record literally just says her name and birth. – floatahhh Jan 08 '24 at 03:02

1 Answers1

6

Although past the statutory 42 days that a birth was supposed to be registered by, they were still well within the time allowed to register free of charge.

There was no fine for being late to register a birth, and never has been - there was an extra fee to pay to the registrar and superintendent registrar (2s 6d each), but at that time it would only became payable if the birth hadn't been registered within 3 months.

(See sec 4 Registration of Births & Deaths Act 1874, and Schedule 2 to the same Act)

Fines (which would be issued by a court) only applied for offences such as failing to register a birth after being required to do so by a notice from the registrar, or for refusing to register at all.

AntonyM
  • 1,416
  • 8
  • 6