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Advice please on Birth and Death Certificates

A

alanfisher202

master brummie
I have details of grandparents Birth and Death details which I think are correct but not 100%.I need to apply to West Bromwich and Walsall registry office for the certificates, any tips to make sure when I apply I will have the right person.
Alan
 
On the birth add the mothers maiden name as well as her married one also include the fathers name. On the death it's a bit more difficult as the informant can sometimes not be a relative. I would add all the names of close relatives any information you have just add it. The more info they have the easier it is for them to find the right person.
 
Thanks Wendy, I will give it a try,I think one of the deaths was in a work house, hospital or asylem even,and the husband died 20 years before,so I think its a case of bite the bullet and crossed fingers and risk the fee.
Alan
 
Just make a note on the request that the death may have been in an institution. The certificates are so expensive you need it to be correct. Good Luck!
 
Alan, give every single detail you have, as Wendy has said, and make sure you put your telephone number down. I always add a paragraph at the end:

'If the details you have in your indeces do not match those given above, then I do not want the certificate as it will not be relevant to my research'.

So far I have over 200 certificates and not a wrong one yet! This paragraph means that if they send you a wrong one you can return it for a refund. I once send for one, to Dorset. They sent me a wrong one, but of the same name, and because of that paragraph, I was able to return it, as it was their fault and not mine. At £9 a time, you just cannot afford to throw it away, unless of course, you are very very rich!!
 
Thanks Wendy and Shortie, am thinking of trying to get certificates for some of moms family, I have quite a good collectio from dads side already, but like you say it is expensive!!
On the subject of certificates, do you have any tips on preserving original ones - I have 3 fom the 1890's which are extremely fragile and one of them is in 2 parts, would like to keep them so they don't deteriorate any more.
Sue
 
Sue the best thing for preserving documents and certificates are special folders and 'pockets' which are acid free. I have a large file for all my certificates. There are several companies who do these on the internet.
 
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