Victor, May be the terminology has led us astray. In your earlier postings you said Parish Register (several times), which I took to mean Church Parish Register, and does NOT record Births & Deaths but only Baptisms, Marriages & Burials. But now you say Local Register Office (LRO) which I accept holds the original register of Births & Deaths. Regards, Mike Tate -----Original Message----- Subject: Re: [FHU] Primary Evidence Mike Sorry I will have to disagree with you here. Let's not argue but agree to disagree! I wonder if you have ever ordered a certificate from the LRO. Most people use the GRO because they can find a reference number. The LRO reference number can be found in some area via UKBMD web site. These reference details have been transcribed by local people where the Register agreed to let them. Not all have agreed to this. Victor > > -----Original Message----- > Subject: Re: [FHU] Primary Evidence > > You are wrong I have copies of marriage certificate from parish register. When a marriage takes place in a church all parties sign the registry > > -----Original Message----- > Subject: Re: [FHU] Primary Evidence > > On 22 Dec 2015 10:22 AM, Victor Markham via wrote: > >> You are all talking about GRO certificates. This is a copy of the Parish Register which are kept in the local archives. These archive copies are different from those that you get from the GRO. Basically they are of a different format being in black and white with all the original signatures and also longer than an A4 paper sheet. Whilst the GRO copy is based on this with an extract of the original posted onto a coloured standard template (Red for birth, Green for marriage and black for death) > WRONG! > > Parish Registers record baptisms/christenings, weddings and burials. > > The GRO records births, marriages and deaths. > > GRO Certificates have little to do with Parish Registers - except for weddings that took place in churches. Civil weddings will not appear in the Parish Registers. > > Regards, > Mike Fry > Johannesburg >