helpfulsis

Hi, does anybody know how I can check the birth register in India? My sister thinks her great granddad William Davis travelled here with his pregnant wife in the early 1930's and that their son was born around that time too. They called the boy Hilary but nobody has ever seen a birth certificate and the whole family has searched the UK register to no avail. It's really important to her that she finds the paperwork as she is unable to get married or apply for a passport as she has been told that because her mother, who is Hilary's daughter, was born in Malaysia they need proof of where he was born to prove she is British even though she was born in the UK. If anyone can help in any way I would be really grateful. I just want her to be happy.

Bipat

There was no birth register as such in 1930s. Births 'if' they were reported were recorded with the local municipality. When the child started school the date would be recorded at the school and the school leaving certificate would give the date and place of birth. These documents are accepted with the Indian authorities for OCI visa etc. for people of Indian origin.
I think the only way is to research the local records of exactly where he was born.

BritInParis

Curious. Is your sister not a British citizen then? What year was she born in the UK and where was her father born?

As for the Indian birth register it is available online and there are also British consular birth records as well but it's difficult to search without more information.

Bipat

There was no general birth register in the 1930s. There were varying record systems according to where you lived. Many births were not recorded at all, or as above, school records were the usual and the important school leaving certificate.
(Many older Indian origin, British passport holders have had a problem getting long term visas because nowadays a proof of birthplace is asked for. Previously their Indian passports were kept on naturalisation and photocopying or recording the number not always done ).

However OP's great grandfather was British so it would depend on why he was in India--army/other work/missionary etc. and more likely records kept by the British side. If he was Christian there could be a baptism certificate.
So as you say more information would be needed and why he was there and where.

helpfulsis

Yeah she is a British citizen, she was born in Southampton in 1986, as for our Father, or the sperm donor as I call him, he was born in Basingstoke. She doesn't know why it is so difficult, all she was told was she needed her Grandad's birth certificate or she will never be able to do much of anything.

BritInParis

Presumably her parents never married? Is this your half-sister, same father, different mother?

Anyone born in the UK after 1 January 1983 wasn't automatically entitled to British citizenship. At least one parent had to also be a British citizen or be settled (permanent resident) in the UK at the time of your birth. British mothers could pass on their British citizenship regardless of their martial status but until 1 July 2006 British fathers could also pass on their citizenship if they were married to the child's mother at the time of birth, i.e. the birth was legitimate.

So if your sister's parents were unmarried at the time of her birth and her mother was born in Malaysia then she will need to prove how her mother become a British citizen before HMPO are willing to issue her a British passport.

I think trying to chase down her grandfather's Indian birth certificate is a dead end. Better to concentrate on her mother. If she was born in Malaysia and her father was born in India then there is a high chance that she was either registered as a British citizen or had her birth recorded with the British authorities. Does her mother have a Certificate of Registration as a Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies or a British consular birth certificate?