Suffolk Civil Registration

Introduction
When civil registration of births, marriages and deaths began in 1837, Suffolk was divided into a number of registration districts, each containing several parishes. The districts were formed in close relationship to the Hundreds in the County that had existed for hundreds of years for administrative, military, and judicial purposes. There was a major reorganization of districts in 1935; thereby, many of the historical districts created in 1837 were replaced with new names and boundaries. Certificates can be obtained from district registrars in Suffolk as well as the General Register Office. There is a duplicate of the marriage certificate in the parish where the marriage took place; therefore, it may be found in a microfilm copy of the parish registers. There is no duplicate of a birth certificate or death certificate at the parish level. Consult the England Civil Registration page for an in-depth understanding. The England 1851 Jurisdiction maps provide an interactive view of the parishes in relation to district boundaries. (details about England 1851 Jurisdiction website)

Civil Registration Districts
Eastern Division

Blything - Comprised of 48 parishes; abolished in 1935

Bosmere &amp; Claydon - Comprised of 39 parishes; abolished in 1935

Hoxne- Comprised of 24 parishes; abolished in 1907; merged into Hartismere district

Ipswich - A Borough Comprised of 14 parishes;

Mutford - Comprised of 24 parishes; abolished in 1935

Plomesgate - Comprised of 40 parishes; abolished in 1935

Samford - Comprised of 28 parishes; abolished in 1974

Wangford - Comprised of 27 parishes; abolished in 1935

Woodbridge - Comprised of 48 parishes; abolished in 1935

Western Division


 * Bury St Edmunds
 * Cosford : The Cosford Database
 * Hartismere
 * Mildenhall
 * Newmarket
 * Risbridge
 * Stow
 * Sudbury
 * Thetford
 * Thingoe

Civil Registration Indexes
By identifying a person in the civil registration indexes, one is able to order a certificate from the General Register Office. There are many sites that provide access to the civil registration indexes. FreeBMD is a preferred site since it provides free access and it has an excellent search capacity.(watch youtube video) FreeBMD searches can be conducted on a district level, county level or national level. One also can search the district registrar indexes in person at their offices. The General Register Office indexes do not correspond with the indexes at the district level.