How to get the most from Findmypast article

[Jelv]

Something you didn't highlight at the end of that article is that after using FindMyPast to search for a birth record, it may just have initials for middle name(s). So I double check by using the information I found on FMP (district, year, quarter) to find the record on GRO. Also I've found examples where FMP doesn't have the mother's maiden name but the GRO does.

 

[peter]

Something you didn't highlight at the end of that article is that after using FindMyPast to search for a birth record, it may just have initials for middle name(s). So I double check by using the information I found on FMP (district, year, quarter) to find the record on GRO.

The protocol regarding middle names in the GRO quarterly indexes varied over time. Where an initial is shown at Findmypast it's because that is what appears in the quarterly index entry that they have transcribed. When the GRO reindexed their historic birth registers about 20 years ago they followed a standard protocol for the whole period: all forenames were indexed in full (except in extreme cases such as the person who had a forename for each letter of the alphabet).

Whether or not there are middle names shown as initials, if the individual is a relative of mine I always do a follow-up search in the GRO index so that I can paste the index entry into my tree. I didn't mention that part of the process in the article because (a) it is obvious, and (b) the aim was to encourage readers to discover for themselves the advantages of searching pre-1911 births at Findmypast, and they're more likely to do it while the site is free (though it obviously doesn't need to be free to utilise the technique).

If I had provided a guider to searching the birth indexes the article would have been a great deal longer and, because this would have reduced the chance of readers trying out the technique this weekend, it would have been counter-productive.

Also I've found examples where FMP doesn't have the mother's maiden name but the GRO does.

I did write that "there are still a few gaps". But it's still much quicker to start the search at Findmypast when the objective is to find "all the children of a particular couple".