Why 2 entries in the birth index

WelchRegLost

WelchRegLost

Well-Known Member
As some of the people concerned may still be alive I have changed date ranges and names.

At some point in the last 100 years a Mr JONES married a Miss SMITH
After 3 years Mr JONES dies (in somewhat unusual manner)
Some 8 years late Mrs JONES gives birth
When I search the GRO birth index this birth is recorded twice
Both entries have the same volume, page number, qtr, year and MNN of SMITH
In one entry the child's surname is given as SMITH the other entry the surname is given as DAVIES.

Any ideas as to why the two entries?
 
I think that if the parents are not married, the birth is registered under both the mother's name and the father's name. In the example that you have given, it looks like the mother has reverted to using her maiden name as her marriage to Mr JONES did not last long - not to mention the (intriguing) unusual manner of death....

I think...
 
That's actually very unusual, as although FreeBMD usually indexes the entry under both surnames where a child is born out of wedlock but both parents are named, the GRO only index it under the father's surname.

Are you sure you found it on the GRO index?
 
FMP don't use the GRO database they use the FreeBMD one, as does Ancestry, but in recent years they've cross-referenced the mmn against the GRO index

If you're happy to send me the details privately I can take a look for you, as tthe GRO and FreeBMD index in different ways, and combining the information on each can often give a strong indication of the underlying events
 
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