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[1928
5
the particulars of registration are made use of by this department. By this means
it is at times possible to detect false or inaccurate information which has been
given. A rather striking instance occurred during the year. A birth was
registered as having taken place in Highbury New Park, the father was stated to
be a seaman in the mercantile marine. As no notification of this birth was
received, our usual enquiries were made, and it was found that no birth had in
reality taken place, but a child had been "adopted," and the woman concerned
had represented herself to the registrar as the mother, and "re-registered" the
birth as a child of her own and her husband, an absent seaman. The local Superintendent
Registrar was written to on the matter, and the Registrar-General
considered the case so serious that he instituted a prosecution. The Magistrate
took a very lenient view, as he thought the motive was well intentioned, although
distinctly wrong, and a modest fine of 10/- and costs was imposed. The RegistrarGeneral
subsequently directed the cancellation of the false entry of birth.
We are frequently appealed to to provide proof, if possible, for people who
have been unable to trace their births, but have some knowledge of the date and
place in Islington where they were born. These are cases in which registration
has been omitted entirely, and not been detected apparently by the local registrars
in their inspection of our notifications. An appeal was made on behalf of a young
woman commencing work who was required by a firm of some standing to produce
her birth certificate. The mother of this young person had omitted registration,
probably on account of illegitimacy. We were able to trace the notification of the
birth received from a midwife, also eventually to trace the midwife, who had left
the district, and to give this information to the Registrar-General on behalf of the
woman so that he could have even late evidence for possible registration.
DEATHS.
The deaths registered during the year numbered 4,161 (exclusive of stillbirths),
while the death-rate was equal to 12.8 per 1,000 of the estimated population,
or 0.5 above that of the previous year (12.3), and 0.7 below the mean of the
preceding ten years; whilst the death-rate of England and Wales was 11.7 and
the 107 Great Towns 11.6.