Hi Graham You are wrong about the certificates, what the Heir Hunter firsm have is the GRO indexes on microfilm/microfiche, but it seems that they do now use the online versions too...in fact findmy past started out as one of these firms, digitising and indexing the indexes for their own benefit, more so than ours - and how it has been to their benefit...:-) As for the fraud documented in the "Day of the Jackal" this led to the introduction of a 50 year limit on purchasing birth certificates, other than those that you can supply the full details for (unless you have a "Regular Users" number - which allows firms such as the Heir Hunters to purchase them. They obviously think that people over 50 years old are not likely to go around trying to shoot heads of state, or commit other forms of fraud (mainly of course benefit fraud). Kind regards Polly ----- Original Message ----- From: "robert williams" <robert.williams94@googlemail.com> To: <bristol_and_district@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, February 07, 2010 3:29 PM Subject: [B&D] Certificates Online. The programme The "Heir Hunters"have copies of the B.M.D;Records themselves on Microfilm & Microfiche. If you watch their Detective Work on that Programme ,you will notice they have the Machines themselves to do the Looking. You will also notice them looking in Drawers Full of Microfiche. The problem of "Identity Theft"was illustrated to great Effect in that Old Film...."The Day of the Jackal"with a young Edward FOX in the Title Roll. He simply visited a local Cemetary,and wrote the details of a tombstone of a young two year old who had died in 1936. He then went to the Registry Office and got the Young Boy's "Birth Certificate",and then used it as His own. This then Enabled him to Get a "Passport",which he then used Fraudently to Travel to Paris to try to Bump off President Charles De GAULLE. No doubt that Ruse has been used on many an occasion since that film was first shown in 1975. Cheers Graham. -- Graham Williams.of Canton,Cardiff. Chairman,"Canton Historical Society". Glam;FHS;#551. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BRISTOL_AND_DISTRICT-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

On 7 Feb 2010 at 15:48, Polly Rubery wrote: > Hi Graham > > You are wrong about the certificates, what the Heir Hunter firsm have > is the GRO indexes on microfilm/microfiche, but it seems that they do > now use the online versions too...in fact findmy past started out as > one of these firms, digitising and indexing the indexes for their own > benefit, more so than ours - and how it has been to their > benefit...:-) > > As for the fraud documented in the "Day of the Jackal" this led to the > introduction of a 50 year limit on purchasing birth certificates, > other than those that you can supply the full details for (unless you > have a "Regular Users" number - which allows firms such as the Heir > Hunters to purchase them. They obviously think that people over 50 > years old are not likely to go around trying to shoot heads of state, > or commit other forms of fraud (mainly of course benefit fraud). Kind > regards Polly > When the dear old Family Records Centre was still open (and how I miss it still) I applied for and was given an RU number which enabled me to bypass some of the restrictions. However, I have found since then that if you order a certificate on the phone to Southport that is under 50 years old, they don't bother with the full details that you are asked when applying online. The only thing is, they charge £1.50 more for it. -- Roy Stockdill Genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History: www.genuki.org.uk/gs/Newbie.html "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE

Hi Roy Yes I too have/had a RU too, and was in constant communication with the GRO once the FRC closed. They said at first that they would add the details to one's acount, so that one could order the same online, but in the meanwhile I could order by phone, email or fax, all of which cost £1.50 more... I gave up once they came under the wing of the IPA...:-( Like you I miss my trips to the FRC. Polly ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roy Stockdill" <roy.stockdill@btinternet.com> To: <bristol_and_district@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, February 07, 2010 4:26 PM Subject: Re: [B&D] Certificates Online. On 7 Feb 2010 at 15:48, Polly Rubery wrote: > Hi Graham > > You are wrong about the certificates, what the Heir Hunter firsm have > is the GRO indexes on microfilm/microfiche, but it seems that they do > now use the online versions too...in fact findmy past started out as > one of these firms, digitising and indexing the indexes for their own > benefit, more so than ours - and how it has been to their > benefit...:-) > > As for the fraud documented in the "Day of the Jackal" this led to the > introduction of a 50 year limit on purchasing birth certificates, > other than those that you can supply the full details for (unless you > have a "Regular Users" number - which allows firms such as the Heir > Hunters to purchase them. They obviously think that people over 50 > years old are not likely to go around trying to shoot heads of state, > or commit other forms of fraud (mainly of course benefit fraud). Kind > regards Polly > When the dear old Family Records Centre was still open (and how I miss it still) I applied for and was given an RU number which enabled me to bypass some of the restrictions. However, I have found since then that if you order a certificate on the phone to Southport that is under 50 years old, they don't bother with the full details that you are asked when applying online. The only thing is, they charge £1.50 more for it. -- Roy Stockdill Genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History: www.genuki.org.uk/gs/Newbie.html "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BRISTOL_AND_DISTRICT-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message