Dear Ada Thank you so much for the comprehensive response to my query. In this particular case, my ancestor was trying to prove his identity in a court in England for an inheritance under the will of a very distant relative. As he did not go through the process you described, and because many of us have looked over the years, it is my belief that his birth was never registered in Victoria (or NSW), and I was therefore trying to get hold of parish records as his aunt suggested all those years ago. Someone told me that the Bairnsdale FHG may have transcriptions of such records, hence my request for their email address. I know they have added some parish registers to the Victorian BDM's in recent years, and I checked there before posting to the list today. Best wishes FionaFiona Harris Western Australia Researching HARRIS, FAIRFAX, WOOLAGHAN, WHITSED, FAIRWEATHER See my research interests at http://www.wags.org.au/mid/8912.htm > Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:02:34 +1100> From: aackers@alphalink.com.au> To: aus-vic-gippsland@rootsweb.com> Subject: Re: [AVG] George de Key Whitsed birth 1871> > Hello Fiona,> > I have indexes cases of the Victorian Supreme Court, Miscellaneous > Equity, VPRS 12024/P1.> > I have drawn off all the "Late Registration of Birth" cases, but your > man is not amongst them. If he was successful in his late registration > the entry number in the birth index & certificate would be (a number > following the last number in 1871, followed by X and the year of the > late registration. Have you checked birth indexes for 1871 to see if > there is a late registration?> > So if successful .... it should appear in 1871, No (for example) 14803 > X 1910> > Now, the regulation for Victoria was:> In 1906 " After a period of seven years, the registration of a birth can > only be effected on the authority of a Judge of the Supreme or County > Court, and under the written authority of the Government Statist, in > accordance with the Rules and Regulations published in the Government > Gazette of 11th October 1899. The procedure is, first, to furnish full > particulars on an Information Paper, accompanied by a fee of 2/6 for a > search in this office; and if there be no record, then to procure a > Baptismal Certificate (if available). An affidavit embodying a statement > as to the non-registration and the reason therefor, and as to the > marriage, and the birth of the child, together with a reference to the > Baptismal Certificate (which should be attached), must be produced in > Court, which matters would be better done under the advice of a solicitor.> > If authority be given by the Judge, the registration may be effected on > the written authority of the Government Statist, on payment of a fee of > ten shillings (to be affixed by a duty stamp to the entry on a loose > sheet). In the Informant's column the following should be added: 'This > registration is made by the written authority of the Government Statist > under the authority of a Judge of the Supreme (or County) Court, and in > accordance with the Rules and Regulations made under the Registration of > Births Deaths and Marriages Act 1890' and the registrar must sign the > entry. The sheet containing that entry, together with the papers bearing > on the case, should then be at once forwarded to the Office of the > Government Statist for inspection."> "NB in each case the Statutory Declaration, usual in the case of a > registration after 60 days, must be made by the informant before > registration."> > So, as he did not make a successful application to the Supreme Court > (and only the successful have been kept in the records) He may have > applied through the County Court in the area of Omeo/Bairnsdale, or in > the County Court in the area in which he lived.> > Hope that's been written clearly for anyone else finding themselves in a > similar situation> > Regards Ada Ackerly> formerly Ackerly Docusearch Melbourne> > _________________________________________________________________ What are you waiting for? Join Lavalife FREE http://a.ninemsn.com.au/b.aspx?URL=http%3A%2F%2Flavalife9%2Eninemsn%2Ecom%2Eau%2Fclickthru%2Fclickthru%2Eact%3Fid%3Dninemsn%26context%3Dan99%26locale%3Den%5FAU%26a%3D30288&_t=764581033&_r=email_taglines_Join_free_OCT07&_m=EXT