robert williams wrote: > 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. He didn't go into a register office. He went into Somerset House which was where all the GRO indices were kept at the time before they were moved to St Catherine's House then, later, to the FRC. He also handed in a completed form and was given the certificate in return which has *never* been possible for ordinary citizens except under very exceptional circumstances. John Stonehouse used the same ploy when he decided to do a "Reggie Perrin". There's still a fake "Duke of Buckingham" wandering around as well, I believe. -- Charani (UK) OPC for Walton, Greinton and Clutton, SOM Asst OPC for Ashcott and Shapwick, SOM http://wsom-opc.org.uk

On 7 Feb 2010 at 16:20, Charani wrote: > robert williams wrote: > > > 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. > > He didn't go into a register office. He went into Somerset House > which was where all the GRO indices were kept at the time before they > were moved to St Catherine's House then, later, to the FRC. > > He also handed in a completed form and was given the certificate in > return which has *never* been possible for ordinary citizens except > under very exceptional circumstances. > > John Stonehouse used the same ploy when he decided to do a "Reggie > Perrin". There's still a fake "Duke of Buckingham" wandering around > as well, I believe. > I hadn't started out in family history when the records were at Somerset House but, as far as I recall, it was never possible, as you say, at either St Catherine's House or the FRC to apply for a certificate and get one instantly. This is one of the things I reckon some of us find so annoying about Who Do You Think You Are? which sometimes gives the impression that it is! The only way you can speed up the process is to use the express service which today costs £23 against the standard £7 and even that is NOT a same-day service. I want to point out every time I see this debate on a list that the reason the records are publicly accessible, and have been ever since civil registration came in in 1837, is to guard against fraud by officials or customers. There were a number of cases in the 1840s of registrars or their assistants making up fictitious births and deaths because they were being paid on "piece rates", i.e. according to how many they registered. And I have always had the belief that there were considerably more bigamous marriages in Victorian times than has been generally thought because ordinary people just couldn't get a divorce. However, on the whole the system has worked for over 170 years and I see no reason to change 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

Roy Stockdill wrote: > I hadn't started out in family history when the records were at > Somerset House but, as far as I recall, it was never possible, as > you say, at either St Catherine's House or the FRC to apply for a > certificate and get one instantly. This is one of the things I > reckon some of us find so annoying about Who Do You Think You Are? > which sometimes gives the impression that it is! It is very misleading and I think it disappoints a lot of would be researchers when they find it isn't as easy as it appears. I started my research back in 1966. I loved going to Somerset House with its galleries and worn spiral staircases. It gave a real sense of history :)) > And I have always had the belief that there were considerably more > bigamous marriages in Victorian times than has been generally > thought because ordinary people just couldn't get a divorce. I'm sure there is too and also a lot more couples "living in sin" than is realised. > However, on the whole the system has worked for over 170 years and > I see no reason to change it. Agreed, although it would be nice to download them like you can through DocumentsOnline :)) -- Charani (UK) OPC for Walton, Greinton and Clutton, SOM Asst OPC for Ashcott and Shapwick, SOM http://wsom-opc.org.uk