Registering Infant deaths

[albasand]

I wonder if anyone can help me with a query. I wondered what the legal position was on registering stillbirths in Scotland?

I have been told my grandmother gave birth to a child before my father which was strangled by the cord and was stillborn. This would have been in the late 1920s.

I don't want to upset or offend anyone who has been in this awful position..but does anyone know if such a baby would have a birth certificate and/or a death certificate? I've tried searching for the death certificate on Scotland's People but no luck so far. I know I won't find the birth certificate on there as you can only view certificates which are more than 100 years old.

As far as I know..it would have been a home-birth.

[ArtAngel]

Hi. I have just asked a friend of mine from our church (LDS) who has worked in the genealogical family history centre here. He said that it is most likely that the still birth wasn't registered.

You might like to find out the town where your uncle was born and see if the birth was registered by the midwife who possibly delivered him.

Pm me if you need any other help which I can find out for you if I am not able to answer your ??s

HTH.

[mfkirke]

I have always been told that my Scottish great-grandmother had several still-births/miscarriages and I know that none are registered.

[izzy]

Why not phone New Register House in Edinburgh and ask them if stillbirths are registered? I have always found them very helpfull! :)
If they are registered, you can then pay a visit and can access all their records and then get copies. The rules about access online are different to in person. But you have to boook and since it can be expensive, make sure you have other info you are looking for at the same time to make it worth your while!! :lol: :lol:

[Rudishoes]

The current legal position in England & Wales is that stillbirths are registered as an 'event' in the same way as births and deaths; all register offices keep a stillbirth register, in addition to their birth and death registers, and certificates of stillbirth are available, although people can choose whether or not they wish to have one of these. I just thought I would post this in case anyone was wondering - I know it doesn't help your query about registrations in Scotland.

[Dibby]

Rudi - do you know when this ruling was applied? My mum had a still birth in 1968, and I would love to know if it was registered. I don't want to upset her by asking, but would like to investigate myself.

[Rudishoes]

Debbie, I've PM'd you :)

[tinah]

I know it doesn't help you but I had a still birth in 1987 and that had to be registered. not sure when it became law though.

[Rudishoes]

In England & Wales, it became law on 1st July 1927; before 1983, stillbirth registrations didn't allow for the baby to be given a name; this is still optional - parents have the choice as to whether or not they wish to have a name recorded.

[mfkirke]

Does anyone know what the definition of a still-birth is? as opposed to a miscarriage?

Of course, there will be two... England & Wales will have one and Scotland another.

[Rudishoes]

A stillbirth in England & Wales is defined as "a child issuing forth from its mother after the 24th completed week of pregnancy which did not at any time after being completely expelled from its mother breathe or show any other signs of life" - I don't know if it's different for Scotland.

[wedding belle]

Stillbirth certificates (certainly in England and Wales) can normally only be purchased by the parent. Anyone other than the parent has to apply to the General Register Office giving their reasons for wanting a certificate. Also, once a stillbirth register is complete it is then deposited at the General Register Office in Southport and is not kept by the local register office.

[Hysteri-CAL]

My mum had a stillborn baby (James) in 1961, and we have a birth certificate for him. He was born in the UK if thats any help.

[Ragdoll Mum]

Might depend too if baby was full term. My daughter was born at 26+ weeks in 1989 before the 24+ weeks ruling came in.

[albasand]

Thanks for all the feedback folks. Up until now I have been doing all my research online but maybe it's time to fit in a visit to the Main Register Office in Edinburgh. I'll take Izzy's advice and phone first and see if they have any answers. I do know my grandmother had several miscarriages but she always mentioned specifically the baby that was stillborn so my guess is that she went full term with it.

[madav]

In Scotland you do have to register a stillbirth. As far as I know, there is no "birth" or "death" certificate. This applied 13 years ago and has done for a long time before this (as far back as the midwife could remember). If you want one, you can ask for a certificate of stillbirth (in 1992 this cost £8.50) but the parents are given an abbreviated version (like a birth certificate) for free (if they want one).

hth

Av

[albasand]

For everyone's information...I followed Izzy's advice and contacted the register office in Edinburgh by email. Their response was that registers of stillbirths have only been kept in Scotland since 1939 so no record would exist of my grandmother's baby. Thanks to all who contributed their ideas to this thread.

[mfkirke]

Thanks, that is a useful piece of information.