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Special Fee for a copy of an Entry of Birth

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General Genealogy

I have a Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth relating to my mother. It was "supplied at the Special Fee of 6d Applcable in Certain Statutory Cases". The purpose in this case was relating to Elementary Education.

The certificate was issued in Augus 1932 and it says mum's DoB was July 1918, making her 14 years old. Why would this certificate be required if she was about to leave, or had already left, fulltime education?

<p>Elementary Education Act

If you google, Elementary Education Act 1876, Birth Certificates, it should help.

http://educationengland.org.uk/documents/acts/1876-elem-educ-act.html

I think it was proof of education and old enough to start work.

I would agree with Bertie's

I would agree with Bertie's response, I've heard of these before.

Many thanks. The section of

Many thanks. The section of the act which seems to apply is Part 1, 5, (2) but in this context I’m not clear what a copy birth certificate would prove, except the age. It wouldn’t prove that a person had been or was being educated, would it?

As you will have seen from

As you will have seen from reading the 1876 Elementary Education Act, the key watershed is the time the child reaches the age of ten, hence the importance of establishing his/her birth date. This is explained in section 25 of the Act:

25 Certificates of birth for purposes of Act

Where the age of any child is required to be ascertained or proved for the purposes of this Act, or for any purpose connected, with the elementary education or employment in labour of such child, any person [...] shall be entitled to obtain a certified copy under the hand of the registrar or superintendent registrar of the entry in the register under the Births and Deaths Registration Acts 1836 to 1874, of the birth of the child named in the requisition.

The corresponding certificate that a child had reached the necessary standard of education is covered in section 24, where again provision was made for the cost of the certificate to be subsidised.

Like Mary, I have only heard

Like Mary, I have only heard of these and not seen one, is it different from an ordinary Copy Birth Certificate?

Does it have, Elementary Education, written, printed or stamped on it to distinguish it from a Birth certificate?

Many thanks everyone. That’s

Many thanks everyone. That’s cleared it up for me. The words are stamped on - I have attached a copy for you.

Image

Good to see that, one to add

Good to see that, one to add to others, there are some specially certified for Insurance purposes and others I can't think of at present.

Thanks Stew,

"A picture paints a thousand words"