Records office question

OU812 · 27-08-2019 5:57pm #1

I have someone in my tree that I’m not sure is still alive or not (or if they had a family).

I have his parents names and the month & year of birth (but not date).

If I look him up in the records office for his birth cert, is there any link to a death or marriage or kids birth certificates if they exist?

pinkypinky · 27-08-2019 6:08pm

No.

Your best bet is newspapers for this kind of search - look for death notices.

RIP.ie goes back 10 years if you register an account on their site.

OU812 · 27-08-2019 6:36pm

Thought that might be the case. Seems stupid to gather these important details & then not join them up

Hermy · 27-08-2019 7:32pm

Why stupid?

The role of the General Register Office is to record the occurrence of births, marriages and deaths - not to compile family trees.

That role belongs to us genealogists.

OU812 · 27-08-2019 9:34pm

Hermy wrote: »

Why stupid?

The role of the General Register Office is to record the occurrence of births, marriages and deaths - not to compile family trees.

That role belongs to us genealogists.

Stupid because they have the data at source and would be easy to join them up at that point

Hermy · 27-08-2019 11:41pm

The data they have does not easily lend itself to being joined up - it requires time-consuming research.

Perhaps you should write a letter to the Office of the Registrar General explaining to them why you think they should take on this onerous task.

I'll be eager to read any reply you receive from them.

pinkypinky · 27-08-2019 11:41pm

Death certs now have parents' names, DOB and place of birth recorded on them as well as birth surname if different.
But it only came in about 10 years ago. And still left blank if the registerer doesn't know those details.
A PPS look up could easily link a death and birth cert but that kind of joined up thinking is beyond the civil service usually.

I do agree with Hermy that it's our job, but it could be made a little easier.

The one that really gets me is that there's no official place to record siblings, unless you happen to live together for a census.

Hermy · 27-08-2019 11:49pm

pinkypinky wrote: »

A PPS look up could easily link a death and birth cert but that kind of joined up thinking is beyond the civil service usually.

I'd imagine that kind of joined up thinking would instantly fall foul of the data commissioner.

The function of civil registration is to record that someone was born, got married or died. Assisting in the compiling of family trees is beyond the remit of the GRO and quite unnecessary. Again, that function is the preserve of the genealogist.

pinkypinky · 27-08-2019 11:58pm

Well, here's a use for it.

My grandmother's death cert has her age wrong. It was filled out by a doctor in the nursing home who didn't check her DOB. It wouldn't be wrong if they'd cross-referenced. And in trying to get it fixed, I've been told different information a couple of times so haven't got around to correcting it. She's dead 15 years.

Hermy · 28-08-2019 8:51am

Would that not be on the doctor not doing his or her job properly rather than any failing on the part of the GRO?

But I take your point Pinky - there are some practical applications to this beyond compiling of family trees.

KildareFan · 02-09-2019 6:21pm

One reason for linking death records to birth records is to avoid fraud & identity theft - it has happened that people have used birth records of people who have died for various nefarious purposes.

Vetch · 02-09-2019 7:55pm

KildareFan wrote: »

One reason for linking death records to birth records is to avoid fraud & identity theft - it has happened that people have used birth records of people who have died for various nefarious purposes.

Bigger picture - this sort of scenario might also be seen to provide a reason for civil records not to be open to all applicants.

Another reason for linking records might be to avoid unclaimed estates. Although I don't know if it's a good enough reason to justify it.

Records office question

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