OFFICE FOR THE UNNAMED CHILD
(Public Guidance Notice – Reference: 99/R.O.42B)
(Public Guidance Notice – Reference: 99/R.O.42B)
In 1999, the Bournemouth Registry Office at 45–47 Old Christchurch Road officially ceased operations.
The building stood empty for some time before its repurposing.
The building stood empty for some time before its repurposing.
In the years that followed, a number of administrative anomalies were uncovered — including a small but significant group of individuals whose births were recorded without a legally registered name. In most cases, no clear explanation could be found.
The omissions appeared to cluster during the transitional period surrounding the closure of the Registry Office.
The omissions appeared to cluster during the transitional period surrounding the closure of the Registry Office.
In response, the Office for the Unnamed Child was discreetly established close to the site of the old Registry Office..
Its purpose: to offer retrospective name allocation services to any individual who arrived without one, whether due to error, oversight, or other circumstance.
Its purpose: to offer retrospective name allocation services to any individual who arrived without one, whether due to error, oversight, or other circumstance.
Although the main registry functions have long since been relocated, this office remains active in a limited capacity.