New GRO indexes

[Katie Bee]

it is still showing 18th as the estimated despatch date

I have looked at my order online and the PDF that I have received says 'despatched'
and the one that I am waiting for still says 'in progress' with estimated despatch date of 18th November.
It is very frustrating and confusing when they send part of the order one day, but not the rest of the order.
Just wondering how long I wait before I contact them to see if there is a real problem with my order, rather than just too many to deal with.

My PDF eventually arrived at 10.49am today (Sunday 20th November). Clearly the GRO are working weekends again!

There is hope for me yet.

 

[peter]

Just wondering how long I wait before I contact them to see if there is a real problem with my order, rather than just too many to deal with.

I would allow at least 10 days beyond the expected despatch date. Of course, if your order showed as despatched and you haven't received the email, that would be different.

 

[Katie Bee]

I have just had the cost of my missing PDF refunded and an email from GRO stating:-

We have been unable to process your application, please refer to the paragraph below.
Due to the nature of the original image, we are unable to produce a PDF of the entry you require. You can apply for a certificate for which a new order would be required.

Any ideas why they cannot send me a PDF but could send me a certificate?

 

[Tony]

Any ideas why they cannot send me a PDF but could send me a certificate?

Clutching at straws: something written on the Register that you're not allowed to see (in a PDF image of it), whereas a certificate could be handwritten as a transcription without that information? Someone more knowledgeable than me will have to suggest what info that might be!

 

[peter]

Clutching at straws: something written on the Register that you're not allowed to see (in a PDF image of it), whereas a certificate could be handwritten as a transcription without that information?

It could just be an entry that is extremely hard to read - I've had typewritten certificates from the GRO before and they have always included transcription errors.

 

[emjay]

As it's a trial it's important to report any problems to the GRO.

I have now received an email response from G.R.O.

"Please be aware, GRO do not retain PDF copies once they have been sent to the customer so we will be unable to re-send you the attached PDF without a new order being processed.
On behalf of GRO thank you for your order."

My initial reaction was disappointment until I scrolled down to find the attachment was of the re-scanned image showing all the details.

 

[peter]

the attachment was of the re-scanned image showing all the details

That's interesting - it suggests that they manually select the images from the scanned pages.

 

[trebor]

I have noticed that in some cases the strip with the entry details is laid on top of another page underneath the heading - some of the letter tops from the entry underneath are still visible.

 

[peter]

I have noticed that in some cases the strip with the entry details is laid on top of another page underneath the heading - some of the letter tops from the entry underneath are still visible.

That's right - whereas when you buy a certificate it is pre-printed with the modern column headings, when you buy a PDF you get the contemporary headings. What I don't know is whether you get the headings from the same page, from the same register, or simply from the same era - it would depend on the GRO's systems.

Does anyone have a PDF which is in one piece instead of two?

 

[Katie Bee]

What I don't know is whether you get the headings from the same page, from the same register

I have 2 copies from the same registration district and the same year.
The headings look as if they are written by the same hand, but the scans are different.
There is more heading on one than the other.
I cannot tell if it is the same heading for each scan.

 

[cfbandit]

It was described as a 'soft launch', which is where you don't actually tell anyone - I had to ask permission to write about it in the newsletter. The good news is that LostCousins members will get to snaffle up most of the £6 PDFs before they run out (one member has ordered 20!).

Thank you SO much for doing that! I ordered 6 certificates myself. I can't wait until the marriage records go online!

 

[Susan48]

I have made good use of the GRO online birth indexes, particularly on account of the inclusion of the mother's maiden surname. It comes in especially handy with a surname like Jones, although in this case it's the mother's maiden surname that was Jones. One of my Jones ancestors was born before her mother's marriage, and her mother gave her the middle name 'Matthewman' which I took to be the surname of the child's biological father. I found a likely candidate in the Colchester census around the time of her birth. Her mother married and went on to have several more children. When in due course the illegitimate Jane Matthewman Jones herself married, she had 16 children, 6 of whom died in infancy (as recorded in the 1911 census). Although her married surname was unusual there was another family of the same name in the town, so the GRO online birth indexes were invaluable for identifying Jane's children. However, although the births were registered with the correct father's surname, the mother's maiden surname varies between her birth surname (Jones), her middle name (Matthewman), and her mother's married name. I wonder whether the variant recorded depended on who registered the birth. Jane died age 48 - presumably of exhaustion.

 

[Katie Bee]

I have just had the cost of my missing PDF refunded and an email from GRO stating:-

We have been unable to process your application, please refer to the paragraph below.
Due to the nature of the original image, we are unable to produce a PDF of the entry you require. You can apply for a certificate for which a new order would be required.

Any ideas why they cannot send me a PDF but could send me a certificate?

I thought I would order the above certificate before the GRO price rise.
The same thing happened, my money was refunded, but this time the GRO did not contact me at all to let me know.
I phoned and talked to a very nice man who told me that they could not send a certificate as it was a damaged entry and I would have to order from the local register office.
At least I now know the official reason for not getting the pdf or certificate.

 

[Alexander Bisset]

It's nice that the digital revolution has made it to the UK, PDFs are so much easier

Yeah it's nice that England and Wales is half way to catching up with Scotland. Shame you have to wait for your digital copies rather than getting them instantly and pay 3 times more for them than we do in Scotland (as Peter says still part of UK).

When I started researching again in earnest back in 2004 I was able to see certificates online instantly and download and save them to my computer. They cost £1. The price has risen in the intervening years but is still less than £2 per certificate. Yet there is still this myth that Scotland's People website is expensive.

So England and Wales still have a very long way to go to have what the rest of Great Britain has had for 15 years.

 

[jorghes]

Yeah it's nice that England and Wales is half way to catching up with Scotland. Shame you have to wait for your digital copies rather than getting them instantly and pay 3 times more for them than we do in Scotland (as Peter says still part of UK).

When I started researching again in earnest back in 2004 I was able to see certificates online instantly and download and save them to my computer. They cost £1. The price has risen in the intervening years but is still less than £2 per certificate. Yet there is still this myth that Scotland's People website is expensive.

So England and Wales still have a very long way to go to have what the rest of Great Britain has had for 15 years.

Still way ahead of Australia in terms of price and "even-ness" of availability.

All the states are different in Australia - Victoria allows an immediate download of a pdf, but costs approx $21. South Australia only gives you access to transcriptions (which annoys me), but a full transcription costs at least $14. NSW makes you wait and often it costs upwards of $25. QLD also gives you immediate access, but it's still above $20.
WA is the worst, I believe it costs $31. Fairly sure Tasmania is the one which gives you the best access for the cheapest rate (if it's not completely free).

And then, of course, go back far enough and all the records are under NSW.

 

[peter]

So England and Wales still have a very long way to go to have what the rest of Great Britain has had for 15 years.

Scotland really only has a cost advantage when it comes to digital images of BMD register entries. and wills.

BMD certificates (where needed) are more expensive, and the birth indexes don't include maiden names, so it might be necessary to order a birth certificate in circumstances where someone researching in England wouldn't need to (though, to be fair, Scottish certificates do generally include more information).

In England & Wales many marriage register entries are available as part of an Ancestry or Findmypast subscription.

At £1.50 to view each census page it could work out expensive, and as for the 1939 Register - if you need to ask the price, you can't afford it!

 

[Alexander Bisset]

Yes very true Peter the more modern things they have introduced have been expensive.