ARC TBC - Finding my Twin.

[Nimuae]

When i was 14yrs I found out that I was one of twins. I was born first - and my twin brother was tangled in his cord. He lived for 5 or 6 hours and was baptized - but I can find no record of birth/death certificates or of a grave. To the best of my knowledge certifying births and deaths - even stillbirths - was a legal requirement - we were born in 1945, in Ireland. I have tried asking the few relatives I have left without much luck - they remember the baby but not what happened to him. Is/was it normal for a birth to completely disappear this way ?

[peterd]

i know in england if you were from a poor backgroung the burials would be a unmarked grave beside a tree in the graveyard for stillborn/ or early deaths

what name was your twin given and what hospital or if at home nearest church would be the best place to start ?

[gardener]

Hi
Do you know who performed the baptism? Finding a record for that would perhaps be the best way to proceed, though if you were born somewhere large like Dublin then it would be rather tricky.

You have your own birth certificate I suppose? If one was issued for your brother then would it have the next number along? I'm not familiar with Irish records but that is how it works in England.

Incidentally, from what I can find online, there was no legal requirement to register a stillbirth in Ireland until 1995.

[Nimuae]

i know in england if you were from a poor backgroung the burials would be a unmarked grave beside a tree in the graveyard for stillborn/ or early deaths

what name was your twin given and what hospital or if at home nearest church would be the best place to start ?

The family were quite well heeled and I was born at home - on the kitchen floor to be precise, and at 06:15am on a January morning those quarry tiles were very cold !!

My twin was named Peter William Reginald by a hastily summoned priest. I arrived before the midwife and was delivered by my aunt. Peter was less impatient and was delivered by the midwife about 20mins later. He was born live - three family members confirmed that much - but he was cyanosed, having been strangled by his cord, and only lived for 5 or 6 hours.

[Nimuae]

You have your own birth certificate I suppose? If one was issued for your brother then would it have the next number along? I'm not familiar with Irish records but that is how it works in England.

Never thought of that - will check it out with the Dublin records - thank you.

Incidentally, from what I can find online, there was no legal requirement to register a stillbirth in Ireland until 1995.

Oddly enough it is still not a requirement in Northern Ireland, but is a matter of choice. However - would he count as a stillbirth given that he lived for about 5 or 6 hours ?

[peterd]

i would start with the local church register, email them if they have one, or phone the priest and explain the situation he will able to check the register at the church for that date to confirm the christening, as yours would of proberly been later ?

there might be a burial record for the same week in the records to ?

[BC Wench]

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