User:Beccac1229/Sandbox66

=Wales Civil Births - Why can't I find a record?=

This page will give you additional guidance and resources to find civil birth information for your ancestor. Use this page after first completing the Wales Civil Registration page. If researching before 1837, see the Wales Guided Research page.

Mandatory birth registration started in 1837. Before this, births and baptisms can be found in church records (mainly nonconformist records).

Additional Databases and Online Resources

 * 1837-2008:  England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008  at FamilySearch
 * 1837-2006:  England & Wales Births 1837-2006  at FindMyPast ($)

Substitute records may contain information about more than one event and are used when records for an event are not available. Records that are used to substitute for birth events may not have been created at the time of the birth. The accuracy of the record is contingent upon when the information was recorded. Search for information in multiple substitute records to confirm the accuracy of these records.

''Knowing the county is essential in Wales because of all the common names. Go to Finding the Wales County or Parish of Origin to learn how.''

Tips for finding births
Successfully finding birth records in online databases depends on a few key points. Try the following search suggestions:
 * Add information. For common names, add more information to narrow the search such as approximate birth date or parent's names if known.
 * Spelling variations. Your ancestor's name may be misspelled. Search with spelling variations for the first and last name of your ancestor.
 * Search parents. Search for the parents, if known, as the child's first name may not be on the birth record.
 * Search given name. Search by given name (leave out the last name) with the approximate date and place of birth.
 * Date range. Expand the date range of the search by 5 years.

Records Start Mandatory birth registration started in 1837. However, universal compliance did not occur until 1874. Before 1837, births and baptisms can be found in church records (mainly nonconformist records). Although the oldest baptism records date to 1538, many parish churches did not start recording baptisms until the 1600s. Records Published Records Destroyed Civil registration records are generally complete.