Hello again, can anyone advise as to whether Christchurch Village RFD England appearing on a birth certificate for the 1880s would mean Christchurch was part of the RFD area and not Monmouthshire back then, or vice versa. I have found several boundary changes for this UK region, and I am confused as to which part of the UK I should be researching within. Any help appreciated.

kind regards

Kate

RFD could be an abbreviation of the Royal Forest of Dean

If you supply us with all the details of what is on the birth certificate it would assist us in answering your question. Who is the birth certificate of and what is the date? Who are the parents? Where exactly is the reference to Christchurch RFD written on the certificate? What is the Registration district and sub district?

Christchurch has always been part of the (Royal) Forest of Dean in the county of Gloucestershire. There is also a different Christchurch which you mentioned in your previous posting which is near Newport which was in the county of Monmoutshire (now Gwent).

In 1974 most of the old county of Monmouthshire was reorganised as the nonmetropolitan county of Gwent; small areas in W Monmouthshire became part of the nonmetropolitan counties of Mid Glamorgan and South Glamorgan.

Some parts of the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire were included in Monmouth Registration district. Some other parts of the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire were included in the Ross Registration District which is in the county of Herefordshire.

As you can see, it can all get a little confusing.

Quite so, my grandmother was born in Uffington, Berks in 1878. I think Uffington is in Oxfordshire now. There have been many administrative boundary changes over time. It is necessary to be aware of this in family history.

Roger