Handwritten annotation on birth registry - what could it mean?

[dontevenblink]

So I've been researching my family history for a while, got quite far back. I've been finding my paternal grandmother's side tricky though so thought I'd just have a look at my dad's entry on the birth register. However, there is a handwritten annotation next to his name. There is the no. 1 and then at the bottom of has another name. Same middle initial and surname, same date and mother, but different first name (but beginning with same letter). So, could this mean there was a change of name, or there was another baby? If so why would it have been added later?

There is no one I can ask unfortunately, grandparents are dead and we never really had any contact with them. Dad never spoke about it apart from to say he was sent to boarding school at a very young age and barely saw his parents. If there was another baby I don't think he would have known.

I have a screenshot if anybody wants to see it.

There's always been a lot of secrecy that side of the family...

I'm a twin and the only thing different on mine is the time. So we know who's the oldest but no other twin info. So doubt it is a twin as woulnt have both names.

Maybe the Clark made an error and had write correct name next to it. If he spelt it wrong or misheard?

The typed part of the register is his actual name though, the annotation is a different name, so it's not a correction. His actual name Samuel, with M as a middle initial, is typed in, the handwritten annotation at the bottom is Stephen M. If it was the other way round I'd assume that too Akire.

He was always known as his middle name too, he never knew why they didn't use his first name.

Are you looking at the original entry? Only asking because until quite recently, original birth, death and marriage certificates were handwritten. Certainly in this area, anyway. And I'd imagine that to be true of the 'Master's copy as well. With computers now it's different , but ime it's copies that are typed, not originals.
If what you are looking at is a copy, would it be possible to view the original? You might be able to get more information from that.

That's interesting banana, this entry is from 1955 and from N. Wales, it is on Ancestry. Looking at the page it does look like a typewriter and very italic writing so it is very possible it is the original, although may well have been typed up at a later date. If there is a handwritten entry would the local area have it still do you suppose?

Honestly the more I look into this side of the family the more I think there was a big scandal going on here. My mum always said there was but didn't know details. Looks like they didn't marry and that my grandma was a pretty young teenage mum and my grandfather was about 35 years older! Quite a scandal for the 50s, looks like they met in Birmingham but ran away to north Wales...

Could he have had a twin who died at birth? Is there a corresponding birth certificate for that name?

Might be worth contacting the registrars office for the area concerned and asking whether it's possible to see the original records, a lot use to be stored on microfiche, so they might have that. Otherwise, could you obtain a copy of the birth certificate - I think it would include any alterations made after the initial registration. Again, might be worth talking to someone at the registrars office.

I would definitely get the original certificate. Could he have been adopted (for example were his parents married when he was born?).
Another source to investigate are newspapers.

Did you say you were looking at his birth certificate on Ancestry?

No English birth certificates are available online, and I think you must be looking at the index page. This is just an index of birth registrations and so you have to use the reference - registration district, quarter, volume and page number, by the name to order the actual certificate.

You can order the certificate online from the GRO. They also have a more reliable index than the one on Ancestry. I would search for the birth record here and then when you find it order a copy and you will get the proper information.

www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/login.asp

Hope this helps.

I've just found the index entry for had a look at this and what I think the annotation to the index means is that the name may have been changed at a later date.

This birth seems to have FIVE index entries.

For each of the different first names there are two entries one with two middle initials and another where the second initial forms part of a double barrelled surname. That makes four entries.

More mysteriously there is a fifth entry for what looks like the same birth - same first names, and mother's surname the same but completely different surname.

I have taken screes snaps of what I found and will attempt to send them by PM.

I also think this points to a name change. When you get the original certificate (which has so much more on it than the index entry) any changes will be noted and dated there.

Look at the bottom of the index page to see whether there is any further references to this entry - often further writing can be found else where on the page

As others have stated, this is index pages and birth certificates will give further information

If a birth entry is changed at a later date ( which can happen) then a note is made on the index page to denote this fact.