Hi Eric,

re the shot in the dark - someone at a Register Office once gave me the useful advice that when ordering a certificate you give as much information as possible, saying that you only want the certificate if (for example) the mother's name is Mabel, the groom's father is Fred or the deceased is over 50. They'll gladly return your cheque if it's the wrong one (if you enclose an SAE). I've only done this with English regional Register Offices, not the national one.