I couldn't find a birth certificate for my grandfather either but it turned out he was born out of wedlock, his mother married a different man when my grandfather was two years old and they changed both his names. Poor Grandad didn't find this out himself until the man he thought was his father died. There was a stigma attached to illegitimate births in those days so families conspired to keep the fact quiet. Perhaps there is a similar secret in your family?
I've got another 'keen'... Ouch!
What are these orange stains that have appeared on my hands overnight?
Last weekend, in Rutland, the first statue in Britain of the late Elizabeth II was unveiled.