Scanned and Handwritten Certificates Guide

Scanned Certificates

So what is a scanned certificate?

Basically a scanned certificate is a copy of the original register entry, it will be the nearest thing to having the original certificate in your collection and shows the signature or mark of your ancestors. For me personally it is THE reason I always try and use a local register office. A marriage certificate will have several different signatures on it, those of the bride, groom, witnesses, clergy and the registrar. The telltale sign of a scanned certificate is the signatures, they are in different handwriting to the rest of the entries on the certificate.

I have attached a copy of a certificate as an example. The certificate is a death certificate for my grandfather, and you can see the rather shaky emotional signature of my grandmother on it, definitely something you don't get with a GRO certificate.

File:SignedCertificate.jpg

Handwritten/typed certificates

So what about handwritten/typed certificates?

Handwritten certificates are certificates issued by a local office, a blank certificate is written out by the staff working there now, it contains the relevant information but will have modern handwriting. Some very diligent offices employ the services of someone with neat writing and skills to write in an old style, nonetheless the certificate contains the all important information you want whatever style is used.

A typed certificate is fairly self explanatory, again a blank certificate is completed after you place the order. The details are typed onto the blank, they are very easy to read,no struggling to make out the letters that you may experience with a handwritten certificate, but they have a very "sterile" feel to them. Great for information and ease of use, but not so good for the authentic feel.

Again I have attached a copy of a handwritten cert, if you examine the name of George Hay under in the columns you will see that both the "signature" and the "non signature" entries for the name are written by the same hand, and as such you are not looking at his signature.

General Register Office (GRO) Certificates

But aren't GRO certificates "original" documents?

Most of you will doubtless have ordered a few GRO certificates, they are supplied from GRO held records but are NOT the original documents that your ancestors would have signed. If you look at any signatures on a GRO cert they are in reality a "forgery", the whole certificate was completed by one person from an index sheet supplied by the local registrar, look closely and you will see that certain letters look the same throughout the whole certificate. They do have value for the information they contain,but if at all possible I prefer the local register office in preference to a GRO certificate.