In the UK, it is still [for the time being] possible to get BMD certificates for anyone, at least up to & incl. 2005, maybe right up to the present, I'm not an expert. Even just using the GRO indexes in the 20th/21st centuries can yield good results. After mid-1912ish, the birth indexes include mother's maiden name which is usually a big help. And the death indexes from some date before 1984 [when things went computerised], include the deceased's date of birth too [though its accuracy depends on how well the informant knew the deceased!]. I understand there's an official project underway to include mother's maiden name and possibly other additional info in the online GRO indexes pre-1912, but that is running very much later than planned and not yet available - I'm sure there are people here know more about that than me. I know our system differs from other countries, Australia as an example, where there's a 100 year 'gag rule' on BMD certs unless you can prove it's for yourself or immediate family -am I right? I had an Ozzie rellie a few years ago threw a big wobbly and stopped speaking to me when I passed on some 'living people' details to other trusted, close-researchers because she thought they would publish them on a website which she said, in Australia, was illegal? But I'm not sure how that works when the web is global - in the UK I'm pretty sure it's not illegal, just bad form in some people's opinion... at least that's true so far... people keep hinting things like this could change. Despite having supposedly open access to our certs and the info they hold, it is still more difficult to trace living people than the dead ones in the UK, but trackers like those featured in the programme will, I imagine, have subs to services like 992.com [or is it 922?] which hold various databases such as electoral registers, phone directories etc - on that website, you can do initial searches for free, but there's a [modest] sub payable to view details. I've no doubt there are companies producing much more of this kind of info for a fairly hefty charge, one reason why the heir-hunters take a percentage cut. Though whether the recent changes to Data Protection and Freedom of Info have affected things I dunno. As I write this, I realise how fuzzy I am about the details on all this. No doubt others can advise me! Cheers, Celia Renshaw in Chesterfield UK -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: 18 July 2008 10:20 To: [email protected] Subject: [HRT] HRT Heir Hunters I also have been watching 'Heir Hunters' and wonder, 'how do they trace the children/grandchildren born after 1901? How do they find their names and where they live? Sheila ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hi Interesting subject! From afar I have vastly differing experiences! ENGLAND I am NOT allowed details of a patient at an asylum who died in 1910 although I have the Death Cert and know the cause of death! I applied in May 2008 because I knew it was 100 years since the Admisson! Privacy Law was cited. I AM allowed information on house ownership, burial details etc for someone who died in 1981. I have Patient Records and Death Certs for the 1940s. AUSTRALIA Burials and Cemetery info is easily obtainable. Wills are available up to the 1990s (my latest). I have had no problem getting certs. The info is available on CD up to about 1920. I think it very much depends on the organisation from whom you are seeking information! The NZ Genealogical Society has published a CD where I am listed as deceased because my name appears on the gravestones of my father and brother! THAT has to be a lesson for all of us! However I do think it is bad manners to publish details of living persons on Web sites but so many Colonials do it in the hope of finding the family "back home"! Many sites have a Personal Message capability which I prefer to use. Cheers Marlene New Zealand Celia Renshaw wrote: > In the UK, it is still [for the time being] possible to get BMD certificates > for anyone, at least up to & incl. 2005, maybe right up to the present, I'm > not an expert. Even just using the GRO indexes in the 20th/21st centuries > can yield good results. After mid-1912ish, the birth indexes include > mother's maiden name which is usually a big help. And the death indexes > from some date before 1984 [when things went computerised], include the > deceased's date of birth too [though its accuracy depends on how well the > informant knew the deceased!]. I understand there's an official project > underway to include mother's maiden name and possibly other additional info > in the online GRO indexes pre-1912, but that is running very much later than > planned and not yet available - I'm sure there are people here know more > about that than me. > > I know our system differs from other countries, Australia as an example, > where there's a 100 year 'gag rule' on BMD certs unless you can prove it's > for yourself or immediate family -am I right? I had an Ozzie rellie a few > years ago threw a big wobbly and stopped speaking to me when I passed on > some 'living people' details to other trusted, close-researchers because she > thought they would publish them on a website which she said, in Australia, > was illegal? But I'm not sure how that works when the web is global - in > the UK I'm pretty sure it's not illegal, just bad form in some people's > opinion... at least that's true so far... people keep hinting things like > this could change. > > Despite having supposedly open access to our certs and the info they hold, > it is still more difficult to trace living people than the dead ones in the > UK, but trackers like those featured in the programme will, I imagine, have > subs to services like 992.com [or is it 922?] which hold various databases > such as electoral registers, phone directories etc - on that website, you > can do initial searches for free, but there's a [modest] sub payable to view > details. I've no doubt there are companies producing much more of this kind > of info for a fairly hefty charge, one reason why the heir-hunters take a > percentage cut. Though whether the recent changes to Data Protection and > Freedom of Info have affected things I dunno. > > As I write this, I realise how fuzzy I am about the details on all this. No > doubt others can advise me! > > Cheers, > Celia Renshaw > in Chesterfield UK > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of > [email protected] > Sent: 18 July 2008 10:20 > To: [email protected] > Subject: [HRT] HRT Heir Hunters > > I also have been watching 'Heir Hunters' and wonder, 'how do they trace the > children/grandchildren born after 1901? How do they find their names and > where they live? > > Sheila > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >