Beginners Guides: Some important Civil Registration Changes

Some important Civil Registration changes:

1866 - 1869
 GRO Indexes include age at death.
1875
 Birth and Death Act 1874
 Compulsory registration of births within 42 days
 Penalties for non or late registration
 Father of illegitimate children had to be present at the time of registration for his name to be on the birth certificate
 Deaths to be registered within 5 days
 Medical certificates required for cause of death
1927
 The introduction of still birth registers.
 Introduction of the Adopted Childs Register.
 Re-registering of illegitimate births allowed if parents later married each other.
 Coroners order/ Registrars certificate required before a burial or cremation could take place
1929
 Legal age for marriage increased from Males: 14 years old to 16 years old Females: 12 years old to 16 years old. Parental consent required until 21 years old.
1932
 Birmingham North and South registration districts amalgamated into Birmingham District including Handsworth sub district from West Bromwich.
1947
 Short Birth certificates were introduced
1969
 Age of majority reduced from 21 to 18 years old.
 Re-registering of illegitimate children to include name of father allowed irrespective of whether the parents married each other.
1970 onwards
 Death indexes show date of birth instead of age at death.

1974
 Sutton Coldfield registration district amalgamated with Birmingham
1975
 Adult adopted persons allowed access to information on original birth certificate.


References:
www.birmingham.gov.uk
www.direct.gov.uk/en/governmentcitizensandrights.index.html
www.bmsgh.org/parish/warw/tyaib/civilreg.htm
www.ukbmd.org/genuki/reg/districts/aston.htm
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/CivilRegistration.html

Alice, very interesting, there's stuff on there I never knew.