Which Date is correct?

[Kit]

Walter Ellis Greenwood was born in 1889 to Thomas and Louisa nee Bentley.

I have a copy of his birth certificate which was registered on 21 November 1889 and a copy of his baptism entry which occurred on 20 October 1889.

My problem is that both state his date of birth and they do not agree.

The certificate says 7 October 1889 and the baptism says 30 September 1889.

I don't know which to believe.

[Kit]

I've found a 1939 register entry for a Walter Greenwood born 8 October 1889. No idea if it is him but likely.

Mum had died by 1894 and Dad abandoned them or may have been in Pentonville.

[Phoenix]

I would say that the September date is probably the correct date, and the birth cert date manipulated to avoid penalties.

So he has a real and an official date of birth. Who registered the birth?

[Kit]

Mum registered the birth. How long did they have to register a birth?

[Kit]

It's a sad story. Mum died early 1893 after being pregnant almost constantly since 1877 with 3 sets of twins thrown in.

Dad then lost the plot, assuming he hadn't prior. He was in court at the Old Bailey by Oct 1893 on charges of child neglect and assaulting and raping (again) his daughter. I can't find his first rape charge but she was only 14.

In 1894 the children are in the workhouse having been abandoned, Dad may or may not be in prison but no one is sure.

By 1901 some of the younger children are in some sort of home which doesn't even know where they were born.

I think Walter emigrates to Canada according to an ancestry tree. One of the older brothers had told the workhouse he wanted to emigrate so maybe Walter followed when he was old enough.

A bit depressing really. I want to delete the father off the tree. :(

[Merry]

I've found a 1939 register entry for a Walter Greenwood born 8 October 1889. No idea if it is him but likely.

Mum had died by 1894 and Dad abandoned them or may have been in Pentonville.

The one on the 1939 register is much more likely to be the one registered in Burnley. He married Florence L Hammer in 1911 in Burnley District and their son, Alan was reg mmn Hamer.

[Merry]

Mum registered the birth. How long did they have to register a birth?

6 weeks.

[Kit]

6 weeks.

Thanks. Either date means they took longer than 6 weeks to register the birth but the second date is only just over.

You are right about the 1939 register too. If he went to Canada he wont be on the register. :rolleyes:

[Phoenix]

6 weeks.

A conversation at the Registrar's office:

- And when was the baby born?

- 30 September

- If I put that down, you'll be fined

- But I can't afford the fine - I have little enough money as it is.

- Look, just say it was born six weeks ago, how would I know how old your baby is?

- That's a month and two weeks, isn't it?

- Yes, just say 7 October, then you'll be alright.

[Olde Crone]

But but but......42 days to register a birth. 7 October to 21 November = 45 days!

OC

[Phoenix]

I'm just saying that the Registrar's maths may have been a trifle faulty :p

[Kit]

Maybe he just turned a blind eye??

My 2g grandmother was baptised 2 days before she was born and the birth was registered within 6 weeks of either date.

Everything datewise seems reasonably consistent until we get to the 1939 register. The DOB she declares there is 3.5 years earlier than her birthday.

So now I don't know what is correct. She never appears on a census with her mother. She is baptised twice, in 2 different names. I am only assuming her father is the man whose surname she used. Mum only married him when she got pregnant with child number 5.