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England and Wales, How To Use Civil Registration Birth Records
Introduction Beginning 1 July 1837, the English government began registering births, marriages, and deaths in England and Wales through a process known as civil registration. Civil registration records include birth, marriage, and death certificates for the entire country. These records continue to the present. Civil registration certificates are not available for public inspection, nor have they been filmed or printed for public use. You must purchase a copy of a certificate to see the information in the original record. You can use a national index called the Index to the Civil Registration of Births, Marriages, and Deaths to identify and obtain a copy of a birth certificate. For more information about civil registration, see Background. What you are looking for The information you will find varies from record to record. These records may include: • Name of your ancestor. • Birth date of your ancestor. • Place of birth of your ancestor. • Name of the father of your ancestor. • Name of the mother of your ancestor, including her maiden name. • Occupation of your ancestor's father. • Name of a person present at your ancestor's birth. Steps These 4 steps will help you find a birth certificate for an ancestor born in England or Wales. Step 1. Find and use the Index to the Civil Registration of Births. Because birth certificates are not available to the public, you must use the Index to the Civil Registration of Births to determine if a birth certificate exists. For a step-by-step guide to finding and using the index, see How to Use the Index to the Civil Registration of Births. If you already know how to use the index and will be doing your search at a Family History Center or the Family History Library, you can go directly to a list of microfilm and microfiche numbers in England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes on Microfiche and Microfilm. England and Wales, How To Use Civil Registration Birth Records Step 2. Order a birth certificate for your ancestor. To see birth information, you must order a copy of the actual certificate. You can order: • By mail. • At the Family Records Centre in London. • By e-mail. • From a Superintendent Registrar. • On the Internet. Step 3. Copy the information from the certificate, and note the source. When you receive the certificate, copy the information, exactly as it was given, onto the family group sheets and pedigree chart for your ancestor. Be sure to record where the information came from onto a research log. To learn how to keep good notes, see Note taking &amp; keeping for genealogists. Step 4. Analyze the information found on the certificate. Compare any information you found on the certificate with knowledge you already have about your ancestor. Does it: • Conflict with what you know? If it does, use other sources to verify the information. • Support what you know? • Add to what you know? Then ask yourself: • Did the source have the information I wanted? • Is this information accurate? • Does this information suggest other sources to search? A christening record may verify known details or give additional information. Background Description Use church records to find birth or christening information before 1837. In the early 1800s, Parliament recognized the need for accurate birth records for voting, planning, and defense purposes. In response to this need, birth registration for England and Wales began on 1 July 1837. Initially, the local registrar was responsible for registering births. No penalty was imposed for failure to register, so some births may have gone unregistered. About 90 to 95 percent of births were recorded between 1837 and 1875. In 1874, the responsibility for registration of births was changed from the registrar to the parents of the child, an occupier of the house where the child was born, or the person responsible for the Research Guidance Version of Data: 9/24/2002 2 England and Wales, How To Use Civil Registration Birth Records child. A penalty was then added for failure to register. By 1875, approximately 99 percent of all births were being recorded. Where to Find It Original civil registration records are kept at each superintendent registrar's district office. Duplicate copies are kept at the Office for National Statistics (formerly General Register Office or St. Catherine's House). Civil registration certificates are not open to public inspection, but you can purchase copies. Indexes are available to the public. To see more information than is given in the index, you must obtain a copy of the actual certificate. There is an added fee for ordering copies without supplying the index reference information. Office for National Statistics By mail To order a certificate by mail, write to: General Register Office P.O. Box 2 Southport Merseyside PR8 2JD England Telephone: +44-151-471-4816 By e-mail To order a certificate by e-mail from the Office for National Statistics, write to: certificate.services@ons.gov.uk Family Records Centre To order a certificate in person when you are in England, go to: The Family Records Centre 1 Myddleton Street London EC1 England Superintendent Registrar If you know the registration district, you may order a certificate from the Superintendent Registrar, since search policies are often more liberal there than at the Office for National Statistics (formerly General Register Office or St. Catherine's House). The Office for National Statistics publishes an Index to the Civil Registration of Births. The reference numbers in the index (district, volume, and page number) do not help the Superintendent Registrar locate records in his or her district. Superintendent Registrar district boundaries sometimes change. When changes are made, the certificates are moved to a different office. Check to see if the boundaries for your district have Research Guidance Version of Data: 9/24/2002 3 England and Wales, How To Use Civil Registration Birth Records changed over time. Registration Districts in England and Wales (1837-1930) gives a short history of the changes in districts. The current Superintendent Registrars' addresses are found in: The Official List of 1993. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1993. or District Register Offices in England and Wales. 4th Ed. Yorkshire, England: East Yorkshire Family History Society, 1989. or English and Welsh Register Offices. Family History Library The Family History Library does not have any original civil registration certificates or copies of them. Microfilm and microfiche copies of the Index to the Civil Registration of Births are available from the September quarter of 1837 through 1983. There is no fee for using the microfilm and microfiche index at the library. Family History Centers Copies of the civil registration birth certificates are not available in Family History Centers. The Index to the Civil Registration of Births can be ordered into a Family History Center. For the address of the Family History Center nearest you, see Family History Centers. Genealogical Search Service You can hire family history societies, professional researchers, individuals, or companies to purchase certificates from the Family Records Centre. Contact them to find their individual fees and methods of ordering, or check these sources: • CyndisList, "Professional Researchers, Volunteers &amp; Other Research Services". • Advertisements in major genealogical journals, such as Family Tree Magazine, give information about companies and individuals who provide certificate services. • Browse Categories - Services and Tools on FamilySearch.org lists companies and individuals who may provide this service. Certificate Exchanges Some internet sites provide information from certificates to the public without charge. Individuals register minimum information from copies of the certificates they have purchased. This information is then posted on the Internet site, along with an e-mail address of the person holding the copy of the certificate. If you are interested, you can contact this person and ask for the full certificate information. Some sites list unwanted copies of certificates that you can acquire from individuals. One example of these sites is the UK BMD Exchange. FamilySearch Internet Genealogy Service Copies of the civil registration birth certificates and the Index to the Civil Registration of Births are not available on the FamilySearch Internet website. Research Guidance

Family History Library • 35 North West Temple Street • Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3400 USA England and Wales, How to Use Civil Registration Death Records Introduction Beginning 1 July 1837, the English government began registering births, marriages, and deaths in England and Wales through a process known as Civil Registration. Civil registration records include birth, marriage, and death certificates for the entire country. These records continue to the present. Civil registration certificates are not available for public inspection nor have they been filmed or printed for public use. You must purchase a copy of a certificate to see the information in the original record. You can use a national index called the Index to the Civil Registration of Births, Marriages, and Deaths to identify and obtain a copy of a death certificate. For more information about civil registration, see Background. What you are looking for The information you will find varies from record to record. These records may include: • Name of your ancestor. • Date of death of your ancestor. • Place of death of your ancestor. • Age of your ancestor. • Cause of death of your ancestor. • Occupation of your ancestor. • The parent's names, if the deceased person was a child. • The spouse's name, if the deceased person was married. • Name of a person present at your ancestor's death. Steps These 4 steps will help you find a death certificate for an ancestor who died in England or Wales. Step 1. Find and Use the Index to the Civil Registration of Deaths. Because death certificates are not available to the public, you must use the Index to the Civil Registration of Deaths to determine if a death certificate exists. For a step-by-step guide to finding and using the index, see How to Use the Index to the Civil Registration of Deaths. If you already know how to use the index and will be doing your search at a Family History Center or the Family History Library, you can go directly to a list of microfilm and microfiche numbers in England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes on Microfiche and Microfilm.

England and Wales, How to Use Civil Registration Death Records
Research Guidance Version of Data: 9/25/2002 2 Step 2. Order a death certificate for your ancestor. For detailed information, you must order a copy of the actual certificate. You can order: • By mail. • At the Family Records Centre in London. • By e-mail. • From a Superintendent Registrar. • On the Internet. Step 3. Copy the information from the certificate, and note the source. When you receive the certificate, copy the information, exactly as it was given, onto the family group sheets and pedigree chart for your ancestor. Be sure to record where the information came from onto a research log. To learn how to keep good notes, see Note taking &amp; keeping for genealogists. Step 4. Analyze the information found on the certificate. Compare any information you found on the certificate with knowledge you already have about your ancestor. Does it: • Conflict with what you know? If it does, use other sources to verify the information. • Support what you know? • Add to what you know? Then ask yourself: • Did the source have the information I wanted? • Is this information accurate? • Does this information suggest other sources to search? A burial record may verify known details or give additional information. Background Description Use church records to get death or burial information from before 1837. In the early 1800s, Parliament recognized the need for accurate death records for voting, planning, and defense purposes. In response to this need, death registration for England and Wales began on 1 July 1837. Initially, the local registrar was responsible for registering deaths. No penalty was imposed for failure to register, so some deaths may have gone unregistered. After 1874, death registration became the responsibility of the nearest relative of the deceased. England and Wales, How to Use Civil Registration Death Records Research Guidance Version of Data: 9/25/2002 3 Where to Find It Original civil registration records are kept at each superintendent registrar's district office. Duplicate copies are kept at the Office for National Statistics (formerly General Register Office or St. Catherine's House). Civil registration certificates are not open to public inspection, but you can purchase copies. Indexes are available to the public. To see more information than is given in the index, you must obtain a copy of the actual certificate. There is an added fee for ordering copies without supplying the index reference information. Office for National Statistics By mail To order a certificate by mail, write to: General Register Office P.O. Box 2 Southport Merseyside PR8 2JD England Telephone: +44 151 471-4816 By e-mail To order a certificate by e-mail from the Office for National Statistics, write to: certificate.services@ons.gov.uk Family Records Centre To order a certificate in person, when you are in England, go to: The Family Records Centre 1 Myddleton Street London EC1 England Superintendent Registrar If you know the registration district, you may order a certificate from the Superintendent Registrar, since search policies are often more liberal there than at the Office for National Statistics (formerly General Register Office or St. Catherine's House). The Office for National Statistics publishes an index called Index to the Civil Registration of Deaths. The reference numbers in the index (district, volume, and page number) do not help the Superintendent Registrar locate records in his or her district. Superintendent Registrar district boundaries sometimes change. When changes are made, the certificates are moved to a different office. Check to see if the boundaries for your district have changed over time. Registration Districts in England and Wales (1837-1930) gives a short history of the changes in districts. England and Wales, How to Use Civil Registration Death Records Research Guidance Version of Data: 9/25/2002 4 The current Superintendent Registrars' addresses are found in: The Official List of 1993. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1993. or District Register Offices in England and Wales. 4th Ed. Yorkshire, England: East Yorkshire Family History Society, 1989. or English and Welsh Register Offices. Family History Library The Family History Library does not have any original civil registration certificates or copies of them. Microfilm and microfiche copies of the Index to the Civil Registration of Deaths are available from the September quarter of 1837 through 1983. There is no fee for using the microfilm and microfiche index at the library. Family History Centers Copies of the civil registration death certificates are not available in Family History Centers. The Index to the Civil Registration of Deaths can be ordered into a Family History Center. For the address of the Family History Center nearest you, see Family History Centers. Genealogical Search Service You can hire family history societies, professional researchers, individuals, or companies to purchase certificates from the Family Records Centre. Contact them to find their individual fees and methods of ordering, or check these sources: • CyndisList, "Professional Researchers, Volunteers &amp; Other Research Services". • Advertisements in major genealogical journals, such as Family Tree Magazine, give information about companies and individuals who provide certificate services. • Browse Categories - Services and Tools on FamilySearch.org lists companies and individuals who may provide this service. Certificate Exchanges Some Internet sites provide information from certificates to the public without charge. Individuals register minimum information from the certificates they have purchased. This information is then posted on the Internet site, along with an e-mail address of the person holding the certificate. If you are interested, you can contact this person and ask for the full certificate information. Some sites list unwanted certificates you can acquire from individuals. One example of these sites is the UK BMD Exchange. FamilySearch Internet Genealogy Service Copies of the civil registration death certificates and the Index to the Civil Registration of Deaths are not available on the FamilySearch Internet website.

England and Wales, How To Use Civil Registration Marriage Records
Introduction Beginning 1 July 1837, the English government began registering births, marriages, and deaths in England and Wales through a process known as civil registration. Civil registration records include birth, marriage, and death certificates for the entire country. These records continue to the present. Civil registration certificates are not available for public inspection nor have they been filmed or printed for public use. You must purchase a copy of a certificate to see the information in the original record. You can use a national index called the Index to the Civil Registration of Births, Marriages, and Deaths to identify and obtain a copy of a marriage certificate. For more information about civil registration, see Background. What you are looking for The information you will find varies from record to record. These records may include: • Given names and surnames of the bride and groom. • Date and place of marriage. • Religious denomination of the place of marriage, if conducted in a church. • Marital status of the bride and groom. • Occupations of the bride and groom. • Residences of the bride and groom at the time of marriage. • Names of the fathers of the bride and groom. • Occupations of the fathers of the bride and groom. • Names of witnesses present at the marriage. Steps These 5 steps will help you find a marriage certificate for an ancestor married in England or Wales. Step 1. Search the International Genealogical Index and British Vital Records Index for an extracted marriage record. You can save time and money if your ancestors' marriage is included in one of these indexes. Marriages performed in the Church of England were recorded in the church registers. The information in these marriage registers is exactly the same as on civil registration marriage certificates. Some of these church registers are on film and have been indexed in the International Genealogical Index (IGI) and the British Vital Records Index (BVRI). England and Wales, How to Use Civil Registration Marriage Records Research Guidance Version of Data: 9/25/2002 2 The source information field in the International Genealogical Index will tell you if the information comes from an extracted or submitted record. Extracted marriage records have a batch number beginning with M or E (for example, M036551 or E010261). Use only extracted marriage records for this step. Do not use information from submitted records. For information on extracted records, see Tip 1. Step 2. Find and Use the Index to the Civil Registration of Marriages. Because marriage certificates are not available to the public, you must use the Index to the Civil Registration of Marriages to determine if a marriage certificate exists. For a step-by-step guide to finding and using the index, see How to Use the Index to the Civil Registration of Marriages. If you already know how to use the index and will be doing your search at a Family History Center or the Family History Library, you can go directly to a list of microfilm and microfiche numbers in England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes on Microfiche and Microfilm. Step 3. Order a marriage certificate for your ancestor. For detailed information, order a copy of the actual certificate. You can order: • By mail. • At the Family Records Centre in London. • By e-mail. • From a Superintendent Registrar. • On the Internet. Step 4. Copy the information from the certificate, and note the source. When you receive the certificate, copy the information, exactly as it was given, onto the family group sheets and pedigree chart for your ancestor. Be sure to record where the information came from onto a research log. To learn how to keep good notes, see Note taking &amp; keeping for genealogists. Step 5. Analyze the information found on the certificate. Compare any information you found on the certificate with knowledge you already have about your ancestor. Does it: • Conflict with what you know? If it does, use other sources to verify the information. • Support what you know? • Add to what you know? Then ask yourself: • Did the source have the information I wanted? • Is this information accurate? • Does this information suggest other sources to search? England and Wales, How to Use Civil Registration Marriage Records Research Guidance Version of Data: 9/25/2002 3 Background Description From 1754 to 1837, all marriages were required to be performed by the Church of England, with the exception of Quaker and Jewish marriages. In the early 1800s, Parliament recognized the need for accurate birth, marriage, and death records for voting, planning, and defense purposes. In response to this need, marriage registration began in England and Wales on 1 July 1837. Initially, a registrar was required to be present at all marriages. Beginning in 1898, churches other than the Church of England were allowed to have an authorized person attend who could register the marriage. Many marriages took place in the parish where the bride lived. Tips Tip 1. What do I need to know about extracted records? • An extracted record is an index entry from an original record. Extracted marriage records have a batch number beginning with M or E (for example, M036551 or E010261). • Always go to the original record to verify the information in the index. • Each extracted record will list a "Source," which is the film number for the original record used to make the index. Use that call number to order, or use the film to see the original record. • The original record may give more information than the index entry. Where to Find It Beginning 1 July 1837, Church of England marriage registers were kept in duplicate. As a register was filled, one copy was delivered to the local register office, and the other was kept by the parish. Small parishes with few marriages often took years to complete a register. Until a register was filled, the Superintendent Registrar did not have a copy of the church marriage records. Original Civil Registration records are kept at each superintendent registrar's district office. Duplicate copies are kept at the Office for National Statistics (formerly General Register Office or St. Catherine's House). Civil registration certificates are not open to public inspection, but you can purchase copies. Indexes are available to the public. To see more information than is given in the index, you must obtain a copy of the actual certificate. There is an added fee for ordering copies without supplying the index reference information. Office for National Statistics By mail To order a certificate by mail, write to: England and Wales, How to Use Civil Registration Marriage Records Research Guidance Version of Data: 9/25/2002 4 General Register Office P.O. Box 2 Southport Merseyside PR8 2JD England Telephone: +44-151-471-4816 By e-mail To order a certificate by e-mail from the Office for National Statistics, write to: certificate.services@ons.gov.uk Family Records Centre To order a certificate in person when you are in England, go to: The Family Records Centre 1 Myddleton Street London EC1 England Superintendent Registrar If you know where the marriage took place, you may order a certificate from the Superintendent Registrar, since search policies are often more liberal there than at the Office for National Statistics (formerly General Register Office or St. Catherine's House). If you do not know the specific place, it may be difficult for the registrar to find the marriage certificate. The Office for National Statistics publishes an index called Index to the Civil Registration of Marriages. The reference numbers in the index (district, volume, and page number) do not help the Superintendent Registrar locate records in his or her district. Superintendent Registrar district boundaries sometimes change. When changes are made, the certificates are moved to a different office. Check to see if the boundaries for your district have changed over time. Registration Districts in England and Wales (1837-1930) gives a short history of the changes in districts. The current Superintendent Registrars' addresses are found in: The Official List of 1993. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1993. or District Register Offices in England and Wales. 4th Ed. Yorkshire, England: East Yorkshire Family History Society, 1989. or English and Welsh Register Offices. Family History Library The Family History Library does not have any original civil registration certificates or copies of them. Microfilm and microfiche copies of the Index to the Civil Registration of Marriages are available from the September quarter of 1837 through 1983. There is no fee for using the microfilm and microfiche index in person. The Family History Library has copies of all original church marriage records used to compile the International Genealogical Index and the British Vital Records Index (Step 1). Use the Family History Library film, fiche, or book source numbers given in the indexes to find the original record. England and Wales, How to Use Civil Registration Marriage Records Research Guidance Version of Data: 9/25/2002 5 Family History Centers Copies of the civil registration marriage certificates are not available in Family History Centers. The Index to the Civil Registration of Marriages can be ordered into a Family History Center. For the address of the Family History Center nearest you, see Family History Centers. Genealogical Search Service You can hire family history societies, professional researchers, individuals, or companies to purchase certificates from the Family Records Centre. Contact them to find their individual fees and methods of ordering, or check these sources: • CyndisList, "Professional Researchers, Volunteers &amp; Other Research Services". • Advertisements in major genealogical journals, such as Family Tree Magazine, give information about companies and individuals who provide certificate services. • Browse Categories - Services and Tools on FamilySearch.org lists companies and individuals who may provide this service. Certificate Exchanges Some Internet sites provide information from certificates to the public without charge. Individuals register minimum information from copies of the certificates they have purchased. This information is then posted on the Internet site, along with an e-mail address of the person holding the copy of the certificate. If you are interested, you can contact this person and ask for the full certificate information. Some sites list unwanted copies that you can acquire from individuals. One example of these sites is the UK BMD Exchange. FamilySearch Internet Genealogy Service Copies of the civil registration marriage certificates and the Index to the Civil Registration of Marriages are not available on the FamilySearch Internet website.