RCEs: a personal experience.....

[sporran]

I have heard from GROS that I have been successful in creating 3 RCEs (Register of Corrected Entries), and I offer my experience in the hope that people are interested and that some will follow with their own corrections.

RCEs apply when errors are found in statutory registers after the register has been signed, or extra information can be supplied of relevance, such as paternity declarations, the results of investigations by the Procurator Fiscal, etc.

Please note that GROS will not be interested in minor changes, such as a few years in ages, trivial spelling changes, and census information is never changed.

The story starts with my great-grandfather, who was born in Ayr on 13 March 1871 (678/00 0162). He was named as James McCurdy Simpson (illegitimate), and mother Euphemia Simpson, domestic servant of New Cumnock, was the only informant.

A month later, the Ayr census shows Jane Simpson as a boarder, together with her son, now called James McCurdy. This was the only time that Euphemia was recorded as Jane.

At some stage after this, James McCurdy went to live with his grandparents in New Cumnock, Ayrshire, and before 1881 they moved to Newcraighall in Midlothian. Meanwhile, Euphemia Simpson had 5 more illegitimate children in New Cumnock, Kilmarnock, and the Kelvin district of Glasgow. Two of those had named fathers.

James' father, also James, married Margaret (Maggie) Dorrance in Old Cumnock on the last day of 1875, and the family moved to the USA shortly after the 1881 census, changing their name to Curdy.

In 1891, James McCurdie married Mary Ann Jane Crosby in Portobello (684/01 0029), giving his parents as James McCurdie and Euphemia McCurdie, m.s. Simpson. There is no evidence that James senior and Euphemia ever married, even irregularly.

Mary died in 1910, and James married again in 1912, to widow Agnes Hendrie m.s. Darling (695/B 0006). However, he gave his parents as James McCurdie and Margaret McCurdie, m.s. Robertson (deceased). There is a possibility that Robertson was a mis-heard Dorrance, otherwise the only Margaret Robertson in the family was the wife of a cousin, but she was 15 years younger than James.

James died in 1939 at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (685/05 0880), and the informant (son James) gave James' mother as Margaret McCurdie m.s. Robertson, but I presume that he was working from the marriage details. The only marriage mentioned was to Agnes Hendrie, m.s. Darling.

I contacted GROS with this information and cited all the references. The information was reviewed by one of the more general staff before being passed to the Correction of Errors Unit. The latter contacted me with the proposed changes, but also asked if I had Euphemia's death entry. I did, and there was no mention of James McCurdie on it.

The Correction of Errors Unit passed the 3 changes, so the RCEs are:

1891 Marriage: James McCurdie's mother to read Euphemia Simpson;
1912 Marriage: James McCurdie's mother to read Euphemia Simpson;
1939 Death: James McCurdie's wife to read (1) Mary Ann Jane Crosby (2) Agnes Darling or Hendrie; and James McCurdie's mother to read Euphemia Simpson.

Out of interest, I asked if I would be mentioned on the RCEs, and the answer was no. I asked if I would be sent paper copies of the RCEs, and again the answer was no. The refusal to supply free paper copies seems discourteous to me, and would be especially so for people who can not visit New Register House, but I am working on getting that changed.

Sorry for being so long and detailed, but I hope that it inspires others, and shows that errors can be corrected even after 114 years.


Regards,

John

[Merlot]

Well done John..........and I agree that it is discourteous not to send you the paper copies.

Merlot

[joette]

Would they be interested in the wrong surname of the First wife being made on the Death Certificate of Widower?
I can easily see how the mistake was made they gave maiden name of Grandmother rather than maiden name of wife.
I am thinking of future Family Historians wondering where the heck he went to.

[DavidWW]

Would they be interested in the wrong surname of the First wife being made on the Death Certificate of Widower?
I can easily see how the mistake was made they gave maiden name of Grandmother rather than maiden name of wife.
I am thinking of future Family Historians wondering where the heck he went to.

Joette

From John's experience it certainly sounds as if this would fall into the category that GROS would want to correct.

David

[joette]

How do I contact them to correct entry? I have had a look at their site but couldnt see anyone in connection to RCEs.Also the daughter has named(renamed) her mother Agnes on her Marriage Certificate despite the fact she was 16 when Mother died & 20 when she married!

[sporran]

Hello Joette,


use the "Contact Us" link, then "Other problem". When you get to the form, choose "Content of Record" from the drop-down box "Issue".


Regards,

John

[Rachel]

I have just come across your post about RCEs sporran and it has solved my dilemma. I recently turned up a strange OPR and was wondering if it was possible that the entry could be corrected,before i do anything however I will wait for the copy that I ordered from GROS. If my suspicions are correct I will let you know and perhaps you will give me the benefit of your advice.
rachel

[Rachel]

I have received the copy of the OPR and it has given no more information than LDS and SP but perhaps someone would like to hear my tale.
My gggrandparents were Robert Young and Amelia/Emily Fiskin*. Emily was born 1795 and they were married 1817. I have traced 8 of their children, their 7th was a son Robert born 18th April 1831.
On the 15th Dec 1850 Robert married Margaret Herdman born 23rd Dec 1830 to Archibald Herdman and Catherine Frazer. The marriage took place in Glasgow.
They had a daughter Amelia born 27th Dec 1852 in Glasgow and a son Robert born 17th Oct 1857 Calton Glasgow.
On the 1861 census I found
Margaret age 30 years
Amelia age 8 years
Margaret age 7 years born Greenock
Robert age 3 years
The family were still living in the Calton area but I found no trace of Robert at this time.
On the 1871 census I did find Robert in the City Parish Poorhouse. Record showed he was a wood turner (as on young Roberts B/C) He was classified a lunatic. Robert died in the City Poorhouse in 1878. His D/C showed he was a woodturner married to Margaret Herdman, informant was Margaret Young widow.
Also in the 1871 census I found:
Margaret Young head age 40
Catherine Young daughter age 19 born Falkirk
Emily Young " age 18 born Glasgow
Margaret Young " age 16 born Greenock
Robert Young son age 13 born Glasgow.
Finding this unknown daughter Catherine sent me scurrying to LDS and SP where I found:
Catherine Herdman Young born 17th Oct 1851 parents Robert Young and Emily Fiskin*. I have tried to find another Robert Young married to Emily Fiskin without success. It all seems too much of a coincidence. The child is named after Margaret Youngs mother. If the Emily Fiskin is my gggrandmother she would have been 56 when Catherine was born and Margaret Young has shown a Catherine Young on the census as her daughter.
I have tried to find Catherine's marriage which may have shown who she thought her parents were or even her death but have had no luck. Oddly enough I have been unable to confirm the birth of Margaret Young in Greenock.
Rather a long winded tale, but Sporran do you think GROS would be interested in this for a possible RCE and is it worthwhile submitting it to them?
rachel

[sporran]

Hello Rachel,


it may be worth filling out a contact form to see the reaction. Others with more experience may comment, but I would expect that OPRs will not be altered. RCEs apply only to statutory BMD records.

It seems fairly clear that Robert and Emily/Amelia could not have been the parents of Catherine. Who knows what went on at the church, but perhaps they were the ones who took along the young child, and some confusion crept in?

Catherine married John Young (unhelpfully!) in 1885 in the Bridgeton district, giving her parents as Robert and Margaret. There is a death in Camlachie during 1892, correct husband's name and occupation and about the right age, but her parents' details are wrong. I could not find anything more likely, but I did not try too hard.

She had a sister, Isabella, born 1856 died 1857, that you did not mention.


Regards,

John

[Rachel]

thanks for your reply Sporran. In view of your comments I will think about it before submitting. Thanks also for finding Catherines marriage I will also look up on SP about Isabella as I know that name keeps recurring in the extended Young family including my own mother and sister.
Kind regards from
rachel.