I am new to this list and thoroughly confused about registration districts. It is almost certainly my own grey cells that are failing me over this. I am researching the BARNETT family. According to the 1861 Census Ann BARNETT was born about 1832 in Needingworth. She was unmarried but had at that time 3 children - George b. 1853, Emma b 1856, and Betty b 1858 all in St Ives. She also had Mary Ann, my target, in 1868. I just cannot find a birth on the BMD for any of these children and wonder if I am looking for a non-existent Registration District. I did find a Mary b 1869 in Holywell - is this the correct Holywell as I see 3 others in my gazetteer. I have searched EVERY quarter from 1851 to 1870 for BARNETT births and found none in St Ives. Clearly, something is wrong with my search. Thanks for your help Raymond G Green

Hi Ray Holywell cum Needingworth, along with St Ives itself, was in St Ives registration district. Holywell registration district was in Wales so the Mary you found won't be the right one. Details of registration districts can be found at http://www.fhsc.org.uk/genuki/reg/index.htm Your searching is not necessarily at fault! She may not have registered their births; simple as that. Failure to register was not required by law until 1874, failure to do so within 6 weeks being punishable by a fine, so prior to 1874 many births went unregistered. I can't see them either. If their births weren't registered perhaps they were baptised - but St Ives parish registers haven't been filmed by the LDS nor transcribed for sale by Hunts FHS, so they can only be viewed at Huntingdon Records office. Not good news, but at least you know your grey matter is functioning properly! Regards David RayBoy <zenxan@aol.com> a écrit : I am new to this list and thoroughly confused about registration districts. It is almost certainly my own grey cells that are failing me over this. I am researching the BARNETT family. According to the 1861 Census Ann BARNETT was born about 1832 in Needingworth. She was unmarried but had at that time 3 children - George b. 1853, Emma b 1856, and Betty b 1858 all in St Ives. She also had Mary Ann, my target, in 1868. I just cannot find a birth on the BMD for any of these children and wonder if I am looking for a non-existent Registration District. I did find a Mary b 1869 in Holywell - is this the correct Holywell as I see 3 others in my gazetteer. I have searched EVERY quarter from 1851 to 1870 for BARNETT births and found none in St Ives. Clearly, something is wrong with my search. Thanks for your help Raymond G Green --------------------------------- Faites de Yahoo! votre page d'accueil sur le web pour retrouver directement vos services préférés : vérifiez vos nouveaux mails, lancez vos recherches et suivez l'actualité en temps réel. Cliquez ici.