Local BMD Sites

[JohnS]

Are there any benefits/disadvantages in ordering certificates from one of the local BMD sites (CheshireBMD, StaffordshireBMD, etc.) as opposed to ordering from the General Register Office, or are they produced from the same source?

I'm wondering if information is susceptible to errors the further down the chain you go and, if so, is the local information more likely to be accurate.

[kiterunner]

Yes, the certificate held by the local register office is the original one and the one held by the GRO has been copied out (soon after the original was written), so the one held by the local register office should be the more accurate one.

But then it depends whether they (the local register office) send you a scan / photocopy of the original document or if they copy it out for you in which case they may introduce errors. Nowadays if you order from the GRO you will be almost certain to get a scan of their document rather than a copied out one. I don't know how likely this is from local register offices but maybe someone else will - or you could contact the local register office in question and ask them what they would be likely to send?

[Merry]

I would definitely ask the local office if they can send you a scan or photocopy. If they can, then order from them as this will be the most accurate version of the information originally given and signatures will be copies of the originals. If they cannot do this, then I would consider ordering from the GRO instead as the least accurate certificate copies I have are those hand written or typed by local registrars not used to reading Victorian handwriting!

I don't think it's very easy to say how likely it is that the local office will help you with an original copy as every office is different and every ledger of certs is different too. The usual reason for not making a photocopy is that the ledger is too fat to fit in the copier! (I have had local offices check GRO certs for me and also send me tracings of signatures before now, always without charge - but this was a long time ago - maybe 15 years ++)

[Mary from Italy]

I once got four certs from the Bradford RO; they were handwritten, and 3 of them had mistakes in.

[Olde Crone]

Oh, goodness me I've just posted on your other thread, lol, before I saw this one.

OC