Roy Brown's Birth Certificate

As I mentioned in a previous post, my wife ordered my Dad's Birth Certificate for me this Christmas. This was very important to me because not only did he die over 12 years ago, but we had a complex and inconsistent relationship over the years. So, I'm always keen to learn more about him; even if it's just little pieces of data.

So, what new things did it tell me about my Dad and the wider family?

Firstly, it gave me an address that I hadn't known about previously. I find it so exciting to add new homes to the map and see how individuals and families move around.

Secondly, it told me that my Nana had kept her married name. She was married before meeting my Grandfather and I had wondered if she reverted back to her maiden name (which is what my mum has done); but now I know that she remained a Winterton. It also tells me that she's a Housekeeper. I need to do some research, but I think that it means she was a house wife. I'm assuming this because the trend seems to be that only records of "Housekeeper (Non Domestic)" seem to related to working outside of the home - for example in a hotel or boarding school.

Thirdly, it tells me that my Grandfather was a Bricklayers Labourer. This is exciting as I didn't have a clue what sort of work he did!

Fourthly, but probably least importantly, I know that for whatever reason, 12 days passed before they managed to register my Dad's birth. This isn't surprising as I imagine that they were both busy, Grandad with work and Nana looking after my Dad and her other children.


I was hoping for an example of their handwriting. Sadly, it appears that this was filled in by the registrar. There may be a reason for this, but as I'm still new to this, I'm not sure what it is! If you have any suggestions: answers on a postcard - or in the comments below!