Hi,
Looking at my grandmas siblings and checked on GRO for any I might have missed using gt grandmas married name Kelly and maiden name Acaster. There are two children that I’m particularly interested in that fit, born in the same quarter of the same year. John Thomas Kelly born 24 July 1893 and died 31 August 1893. I have had both these certificates for some time and there is no indication he was a twin. The second child is Mary Kelly. Burials for both are on this site (under Kelley) and it states Mary died at 2 hours old and was buried on 27 July 1893. It all points to them being twins, was it not always noted on the birth certificate? I will send for Mary’s birth certificate if I have to but would value your opinion first.
Claire

Hi Claire

As far as I'm aware, twins have separate birth certificates and wouldn't state they were a twin but, as they are usually registered one after the other, the certificate numbers are consecutive. Is this the case with the two Kelly births?

Carol

Hi Carol,
I did look at that, Mary is 479 and John is 483 so close but not consecutive.
Claire

Hi

That seems strange. They are close but, if you think about it, why would you go to register the birth of one twin, leave a gap, and then register the other twin. There again, the fact that they were registered so close together and both mothers have the same maiden name makes it strange. You might have to bite the bullet and send for the other birth certificate.

Carol

Hi,
I wonder if it was the cost. They had next to nothing and maybe thought that twins cost the same as one to register?? The certificate might be only way to know for sure. Thank you for your interest.
Claire

Just a thought. In order to arrange a funeral for Mary there was urgency to go to the reg office. There the registrar would register her birth and death. Two or 3 days later after the funeral they may register the birth of JohnThomas. That may account for 4 pages extra in the birth register.
Dave

Hi Dave,
That would make sense. Mary was buried on 27 July 1893. John was registered a month later on 28th August, but then he died on 31 August and his death registered on the same day.
Claire

If they were twins on the same day then a time would be shown on the birth certificate. it would not say who the other twin was.

Hi John

Sheffield & District FHS transcribed the registers at Sheffield Register Office for their website, and it was not a hard and fast rule that a time was entered on the twins registration. Not all twins certificates had a time entered as we commented on this when transcribing.

Angela

The edit facility appears to have disappeared.

Hi Claire

According to the Sheffield Register Office site both births were registered in the same district: Sheffield West. http://libplugins.sheffield.gov.uk/bmd/searchmain.aspx


Angela

Hi John,
I thought I had read somewhere about times being shown on twins certificates but I didn’t know if this was a hard and fast rule. Thank you Angela for clarifying. Maybe I just need to send for the certificate to be sure.
Thank you everyone for your input.
Claire

Best place to check for twins is baptismal records where they will be recorded in consecutive entries each with same parents. Also the Vicar often notes which is the elder child.

Hi Claire,

Was the twins mother still alive at the time of the 1911 census?
If so that might be a clue because it asks how many children were born in the marriage, and how many were alive or had died.

Heths

Hi,
Angela, that’s a positive sign, thank you.
John, because Mary only survived 2 hours she wouldn’t have had a baptism as such, none recorded on here. There is one for John but no mention of a twin but Mary would have passed away by then, so would they note John was a twin?
Heather, it was the 1911 census that originally peaked my interest, 4 living, 4 dead - I only had notes on 6 children and further research led me to Mary and another child later on.
Thank you everyone, I think the certificate is the only way to know for sure.
Claire

Hi Claire, Sometimes when a child was born & not expected to live the parents asked for what was called a private baptism which may even have been done by the Sister on the ward. Don't know where they would be recorded though
John