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My mother’s birth certificate

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chrisd9
male
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I have been trying to obtain my mother’s birth Certificate for three years with no luck whatsoever her name is Patricia Marie Andree Georgette Gelston born Brussels Belgium 18 September 1945 her parents names are Hugh Gelston B.16 September 1916 Downpatrick Ireland Father and Helene Scholastique Marie Verhulst B.10 February 1923 Ypres Belgium Mother they married in Waterloo 9 May 1945 if anyone can find my mother’s birth certificate I am happy to provide a reward I am losing faith that it will ever be found she is now a British citizen with a U.K. passport which states she was born in Brussels.
Please help if you can
Thanks Chris
ericdubois
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Hi Chris,

Belgium birth certificates less than 100 years old will not be accessible to anyone except direct descendants.

Try requesting a "Extrait d'acte de naissance" from the Brussels website below (for some reason the English version doesn't work). You will probably need to send a copy of your birth certificate as proof of filiation.

https://www.bruxelles.be/e-guichet-population-etat-civil

Up until 2008, Belgium did not allow dual citizenship and you had to renounce Belgian citizenship to acquire a new citizenship. But many people did not and, as far as I know, there was no verification. The steps to regain Belgian citizenship vary greatly based on specific conditions. The Foreign Affairs website can give you more information but I recommend contacting the nearest Belgian consulate as they know more bout the subject than I do.

https://diplomatie.belgium.be/en/services/services_abroad/nationality/

Eric
chrisd9
male
Inlägg: 5
Thank you for your response I am a direct descendant her son and the town halls that have responded have rarely asked for proof some asked for a copy of her passport,although born in Belgium I don’t think she was ever a Belgium citizen as her father was in the British army and moving throughout Europe and Africa what do you think?
ericdubois
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Citizenship is complicated. A few years ago, I went through lots of paperwork and expenses to ensure my children could preserve their Belgian citizenship. Six months later, a new law was passed that made preservation of citizenship automatic. :lol:

Don't quote me on this, as I'm not 100% sure. I think that in 1945, a woman acquired her husband's nationality at marriage and a child acquired the father's nationality. If that is correct, your mother might have been legally Irish at birth. But in either case, there should be a record of her birth in Brussels.

Have you looked into getting EU citizenship through Ireland? From what I gather, they facilitate descendants of migrant regaining their ancestors' nationality.

Eric
chrisd9
male
Inlägg: 5
That is what I am trying to do I have all the documents unfortunately around 1991 my mother has lost her birth certificate so I cannot prove my link to my grandfather which is required.I currently live in Spain as a resident but my freedom of movement and work status through Europe is very limited so I am desperate but I have been searching for 3 years I have heard that some hospitals issued birth certificates then it was down to the parents to register the birth unfortunately my mother doesn’t know where her parents were living at the time of her birth
ericdubois
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Your mother's marriage certificate should have her precise birth location, and the town where she married may have a copy or extract of her birth certificate.

"Brussels" may refer to any of the 19 municipalities that it comprises. Since your grandparents married in Waterloo, it may even include some towns just south of the city. Are you able to get your grandparents' marriage certificate? It may contain information about where they resided or were stationed at the time. Your grandfather's military records may also help.

Eric
chrisd9
male
Inlägg: 5
I have my mother’s marriage certificate and it doesn’t state her exact birth place I have already contacted all nineteen districts and also the ones just south and around Waterloo also the grandparents marriage certificate state that they are living in Waterloo but I cannot see where and that my grandmother originally was from Ypres.
chrisd9
male
Inlägg: 5
I also have his military records but they state NWE north west Europe it is quite simple to follow them around as they had six children my mum being the first in Brussels then my auntie Marie in Brunswick Germany 1947 my auntie Helene in Ireland 1948 my auntie Angela in Rwinkwavu Belgian Congo my auntie Elizabeth in Mombasa Kenya 1952 and my uncle Rene in Ireland 1954 and this all corresponds with his military records
ericdubois
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I don't know how Irish military archives work. But if you know what division your grandfather was in, you might be able to find out where that division was in May and September 1945. It might not hurt to look at the December 1944-January 1945 period either.

We're talking about wartime so there was a lot of movements of population. I took a quick look at the Ypres/Ieper tables and there are some VERHULST in there.

Eric
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