Did you know that when you are researching your
family history you can get invaluable information
from birth, marriage, civil partnership and death
certificates? The General Register Office for England
and Wales (GRO) holds records for all births,
marriages, civil partnerships, and deaths registered
in England and Wales from 1 July 1837, and can help
you in your search. (Civil partnerships are available
from 5
th
December 2005)
This booklet tells you about:
• The General Register Office for England and Wales, what its role is,
and which records it can offer you
• The information you will find on civil registration records
• The information you will need to order civil registration records
It will give you an introduction to how the General Register Office can help.
For more details, please go to www.gov.uk/research-family-history
1
2
For a full list of records available see pages 21 and 22 or for
more information visit www.gov.uk/research-family-history
Where should I start my search?
When you are starting to research your family history, gather together
family memories, photos and documents and you may be able to quickly
develop an understanding of the last couple of generations. To find out
more detailed information, birth, marriage, civil partnership and death
certificates are an invaluable material. They provide links back to the
previous generation by giving details of a relative’s address, occupation
or cause of death. Certificates will also give clues about the individual’s
parents or husband/wife.
How can GRO help?
People come to the GRO because it has the records of every birth,
marriage civil partnership and death registered in England and Wales
available in one place. Some commercial organisations also offer a service
to get certificates for you, but these organisations apply to the GRO or the
local registration service on your behalf. It is therefore cheaper and quicker
to order direct.
GRO also holds overseas records containing details of births, marriages,
civil partnerships and deaths of British citizens that have taken place
abroad since the late 18th century. These include those registered with
British Consuls, High Commissions, HM Forces, the Civil Aviation
Authority and the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. It is not
compulsory to register every birth, marriage, civil partnership or death that
occurs overseas and GRO is not automatically notified of every event that
has taken place.
3
What services does GRO provide?
The GRO can provide you with birth, marriage, civil partnership and death
certificates covering England and Wales from 1 July 1837 onwards (civil
partnerships are available from 5
th
December 2005). If you use the standard
service, the certificate will be dispatched from GRO on the fourth working
day (if the GRO index reference number is provided).
If you use the priority service, the certificate will be dispatched from GRO
on or before the next working day (if the order is received before 4pm,
excluding weekends and Bank Holidays).
There is also a Portable Document Format (PDF) service covering
England and Wales for birth registration records from 1837 to 100 years
ago and for deaths from 1837 to 1957. Additionally, we have launched an
Online View digital image service for birth registration records from 1837 to
100 years ago and for deaths from 1837 to 1887.
The online service is the cheapest and simplest way of placing an order
www.gov.uk/bmdcertificates
How do I search for records that date from before 1837?
Local parish records contain details of baptisms, marriages and burials. You
will usually find parish registers at the local County Record Office or through
various websites where registers have been digitised.
It may also be worth checking the GRO regimental records if there
was a connection to the British Army.
4
What information will I find on a birth,
marriage or death certificate?
As well as the full names of the individuals, you will find the
following information:
Birth certificate – includes date and place of birth, the name and residence
of the mother (and sometimes the mother’s maiden name). The name and
occupation of the father is also shown on the certificate. See Annex A on
pages 18 and 19 for an example certificate.
Marriage certificate – includes the full names each party to the marriage.
It will usually include their occupations, residences and the date and place
of the marriage and, in addition, the names and occupations of the fathers
of both party, if the marriage took place before 4
th
May 2021. See Annex B
on pages 20 and 21 for an example certificate.
Civil Partnership certificate – includes the full names each party to the
civil partnership. It will usually include their occupations, residences and
the date and place of the civil partnership and, in addition, the names and
occupations of the mother and father of each party, if the civil partnership
was formed before 4
th
May 2021. Where the civil partnership was formed
on or after 4
th
May 2021, the name and occupations of the mother, father
or parents of both each party will be included.
Death certificate – includes the date of death, age, occupation, final
residence and cause of death, as well as the name and relationship of the
person who acted as the informant. See Annex C on pages 22 and 23 for an
example certificate.
What is the difference between a short and a full birth certificate?
A short certificate is an extract of the full record and only shows the name
and surname, date of birth, place of birth and sex of the child.
5
The GRO Index Reference
It is cheaper to order certificates online and provide a GRO index
reference although you can also apply by telephone or post.
The GRO index reference provides unique reference information that
helps find the birth, marriage, civil partnership or death in England
and Wales that you are interested in. It includes:
• The year when the birth, marriage, civil partnership or death was registered
• The quarter (e.g. Oct-Dec is the December quarter, Jan-March is the March quarter)
when it was registered
• The earliest index is for September quarter 1837. After 1984 the indexes
are organised by year only
• The district in which the event was registered
• The volume and page number
The entries within the indexes are arranged in alphabetical order by
surname, with first names listed alongside (as recorded on the certificate).
The full index data varies depending on the type of event (birth, marriage,
civil partnership or death) and the year when the event was registered.
6
Where can I find a GRO index reference?
The GRO provides a public index that lists basic details of every birth,
marriage, civil partnership and death recorded in England and Wales
since 1837. If you provide details of the index reference number, it will be
cheaper for you and also help speed up your application.
The historical birth and death index - births over 100 years old and
deaths up to 1957 (those records that have been digitised) are available
to search free of charge, via the GRO website at www.gov.uk/
bmdcertificates
You can also visit www.freebmd.org.uk which contains a transcription
of the index from 1837 to 1983.
Further information on researching GRO index reference numbers
is available at www.gov.uk/research-family-history
Alternatively, a complete set of GRO Indexes is available in microfiche
format to view free of charge at:
• Bridgend Local and Family History Centre
• City of Westminster Archives Centre
• Manchester Central Library
• Newcastle City Library
• Plymouth Central Library
• The British Library and
• The Library of Birmingham
You are advised to check opening times and availability with the
libraries directly before making any travel arrangements.
Some public libraries and other organisations such as family history
societies, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints family history
centres or local record offices hold partial sets of the GRO Indexes on
microfiche or CD ROM.
A number of organisations make the index available online and you can use
these to find the index reference that you need. Most web sites that offer
access to these records will make a charge for this service.
7
The GRO index reference isn’t clear. Can the GRO help?
Yes. If you can’t decipher part of an index reference number you can use
the GRO’s unclear “microfiche service”. GRO will provide clarification of
the index reference number. You can contact the GRO by:
Email
unclearfich[email protected]ov.uk
Phone
+44 (0) 300 123 1837
Monday to Friday 8am-6pm
Saturday 9am-1pm
Post
General Register
Office PO Box 2
Southport Merseyside
PR8 2JD
The aim is to reply within one working day of receipt of your request and
the service is free. This service clarifies the reference number for you but
won’t confirm that it is the entry you are looking for.
8
Online
The cheapest and quickest way to order a certificate is to go to
www.gov.uk/bmdcertificates and then follow the link to order certificates
online. You can order a certificate and pay for it online.
How can I order a certificate?
Phone
+44 (0) 300 123 1837
Monday to Friday
8am-6pm
Saturday 9am-1pm
To contact GRO using the Text Relay service text 18001 (followed by 0300
123 1837).
Post
Forms can be downloaded from www.gov.uk/bmdcertificates
Completed application forms should be returned to:
General Register
Office PO Box 2
Southport Merseyside
PR8 2JD
Can I order a certificate from the local register office?
A local register office will have the original register of births, marriages, civil
partnerships or deaths and if you know that the event you are interested in
occurred in the district that they cover, you can approach the local register
office for a certificate.
9
An order for a PDF copy of a registration record must be made via our online
ordering site. Please note that this service is not available via telephone or
postal applications. The PDF product is selectable under the "service option"
on the order page for an England & Wales birth event for the years stated
above.
How can I order a PDF?
The GRO is continually improving the way it provides civil registration
services; including registration records in a format other than by paper
certificate.
We offer historical birth and death records for England and Wales in
Portable Document Format [PDF]. These include birth registration records
over 100 years old and deaths from 1837 to 1957.
You will need to provide the full GRO index reference number for the record
that you are interested in, you will be prompted to supply details of the event
as you complete the online application form.
You will be sent an email notification to inform you that your PDF image is
ready to view and download. You will need to log on to your ordering account
and you will find a link to your PDF in your order history. At this point you can
view your image by clicking onto the "View PDF" button, download and save.
PDFs will remain available to view for a period of 3 months from the point of
ordering, after which it will be removed. You will not receive a reminder prior
to deletion.
For more information on the PDF service please visit
www.gov.uk/bmdcertificates click 'start now' and select 'Most
Customers Want to Know'
10
How can I order an Online view digital image?
The GRO now offers a quicker, fully automated Online View digital image (in
JPEG format) service for historical birth and death records for England and
Wales. These include birth and death registration records from 1837 to 100
years ago for births and from 1837 to 1957 for deaths.
An order for an Online View digital image of a registration record must be
made via our online ordering site. Please note that this service is not
available via telephone or postal applications. The Online view product is
selectable under the “service option” on the order page for an England and
Wales birth events from 1837 to 100 years ago and death events for the years
1837 – 1957.
You will need to provide the full GRO index reference number for the record
that you are interested in, you will be promoted to supply details of the event
as you complete the online application form.
After you have completed the payment process of your order you can view
the image by clicking onto the “View Online View” button, download and save.
Online View images will remain available to view for a period of 3 months from
the point of ordering, after which it will be removed. You will not receive a
reminder prior to deletion.
For more information on the Online View service, please visit
www.gov.uk/bmdcertificates, click ‘start now’ and select ‘Customer Service
Guide
11
Where can I find out how much copies of
registration records cost?
For information on our current prices please refer to the booklet on GOV.UK
'How to order and Pay for Civil Registration Records' or visit
www.gov.uk/bmdcertificates click 'start now' and select 'Most Customers
Want to Know'.
If you are unable to access this information please contact the GRO by
phone, or post (details given on page 8) for a copy of the leaflet ‘How to
Order and Pay for Civil Registration Records'.
How do I pay for a certificate?
You can pay online or by telephone using most major credit/debit cards. If
you want to apply by post you will be asked to complete a GRO application
form. Application forms can be downloaded from
www.gov.uk/bmdcertificates
Payment can be made either by cheque, postal order or international
bankers draft payable to ‘HM Passport Office’.
• Payments made by international bankers draft should be in sterling.
The draft must bear the name and address of a clearing bank within
the UK
• Please do not send cash
• Where you wish to use the priority service, please clearly mark
your envelope ‘priority’
• A stamped self-addressed envelope is not required.
Please note that additional administration fees are payable if you do
not apply online (when service is available) or include a GRO index
reference. These cover the extra cost of processing such applications
and are generally non-refundable, other than the index fee, if it
exceptionally transpires the index information is unavailable.
How do I pay for a PDF?
You can only order and pay for a PDF online at -
www.gov.uk/bmdcertificates
12
How do I pay for an Online View digital image?
You can only order and pay for an Online View digital image online at –
www.gov.uk/bmdcertificates
I have placed an order for a certificate, what happens
next?
When found, the certificate is printed, folded and sent to you in a C5
envelope using standard postal services. Target dates for dispatch are
also included on page 3 under the heading ‘What services does GRO
provide?’
Refunds
If we are unable to produce the certificate you require, you will receive a
partial refund of the certificate fee, less a deduction to cover work
incurred. Any additional administration fees which may have been paid
if not applying online or including a GRO index reference are non-
refundable. Refunds will take up to five additional days to process.
Orders for PDFs are non-refundable.
For full details of fees see the guide: How to Order and Pay for
Civil Registration Record.
13
What should I do if I cannot find a birth,
marriage or death certificate?
Prior to 1875, the registration of an event was not enforced and therefore
some were missed. In addition, some events may have taken place outside
of England and Wales. An important factor to remember when searching is
that there could be some variations in the spelling of names, as many
people could not read or write and the registrar would have to interpret
spellings.
Births
• The child may have been registered under a forename/surname other
than that by which he/she was known in later life
• The child could have been registered before the parents had chosen a
forename, in which case, the entry in the indexes would be at the end of
the listing for the surname under female/male
• The child could have been born in a period other than that searched
• Widen the search for the place of birth – the child may have been born in a different
location as births must be registered in the district they occurred
• Ages on census records and marriage certificates should be treated
with caution. No proof of age was required and often people did not
actually know their own age
Marriages
• Marriages sometimes took place after the birth of the first child –
therefore widening the timescale searched may help
• One party may have been married more than once, and used a different
name – try checking previous surnames, or the name of the other party
to the marriage.
• Historically, couples may have continued to live together as man and
wife as divorce was rarer. Also, some couples may never have married,
or did not remarry after their spouse died.
Deaths
• Widen the timescale that the death occurred as it could have been
registered some time after the event i.e. if an inquest was involved
Widen the search for the place of death – the person may have died in a different
location to where they actually lived (deaths must be
14
registered in the district they occurred)
• In a very small minority of cases, deaths would be registered without a
name i.e. if there was nobody to identify a body. These are listed as
‘unknown’ in the indexes and appear at the end of each quarter
15
How can I contact other General
Register Offices?
Scotland
The Registrar General
The National Records of Scotland
New Register House
3 West Register Street
Edinburgh
EH1 3YT
Tel: +44 (0) 131 314 4411
Website: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/
Northern Ireland
The Registrar General
Oxford House
49/55 Chichester Street
Belfast BT1 4HL
Tel: 0300 200 7890 from the UK or +44(0)2891 513101 from
outside the UK
Website: www.nidirect.gov.uk
Republic of Ireland
The Registrar General for events outside Dublin and at non-Catholic
Churches Government House in Dublin:
Convent Road
Roscommon
Eire
Tel: +353 (0) 1671 1000
For events in the greater Dublin
area: Tel: +353 (0) 906 632 900
Tel: +353 (0) 1671 1929/1968/1974
Website: www.groireland.ie
16
Isle of Man – Civil Registry
The registration of births and deaths was compulsory from 1878 onwards,
and the registration of marriages was obligatory from 1884, although
records go back to 1849 for non-Anglican births.
Deemsters Walk
Bucks Road
Douglas
Isle of Man
IM1 3AR
Tel: +44 (0) 1624 687 039
Jersey – General Registry
Holds births, marriages and deaths from
1842.
Office of the Superintendent
Registrar 10 Royal Square
St Helier
Jersey
Channel Islands
JE2 4WA
Tel: +44 (0) 1534 441335
Guernsey – Register Office
Holds births and deaths from October 1840, non-Anglican marriages
from States Offices January 1841 and Anglican marriages from 1919.
The Greffe
Royal Court House
St Peter Port
Guernsey
GY1 2PB
Tel: +44 (0) 1481 725 277
17
6
Birth certificate help sheet
(*for births registered before 1 April 1969)
The columns on the birth certificate show, from left to right:
1.
Date and place of birth
The later the date of birth, the more
likely a full address will appear.
2. Name
The forename(s) given to the child at
birth.
3. Sex of Child
4.
Father’s name
The absence of a name here may
indicate that the parents were not
married to each other at the time of
the birth.
5. Name and maiden name of mother
This extra information will help you
track down the mother’s parents as
well as a marriage between her and
the father.
6.
Occupation of father
This information can be useful for
confirming that you are looking at
a certificate for the right family –
although it is not definitive proof.
7.
Signature, description and
residence of informant
Usually one of the parents,however,
it could be a grandparent, another
relative, or someone present at
the birth.
8.
Names entered after
registration
Used to record any names given to
the child – for example, at baptism
– up to 12 months after the initial
registration.
4
4
4
18
5 6 7 8
Annex A
On 1 April 1969 the law relating to birth registrations was amended resulting
in a change to the format of a birth certificate. The above information relates to
births registered before 1 April 1969.
19
Marriage certificate help sheet
The Columns on the marriage certificate show:
The header shows the district where the marriage took place. The
district name is usually repeated at the bottom of the certificate
1. Entry number in the marriage
register
2. Names of the parties to the
Marriage
3. Age The age given by the bride
and groom at the time of marriage,
this is only as accurate as they
believe it to be. ‘Full’ indicates 21
or over.
4. Condition Marital status at time of
marriage, e.g. bachelor/spinster,
widow/widower or previous
marriage dissolved.
5. Rank or Profession. From 4
th
May
2023 this changed to record the
occupation of the parties.
6. Residence at the time of marriage
Until 1995, for a marriage to take
place in a register office, or
religious buildings; one of
registration district. This rule
didn’t always apply to couples
marrying in a Church of England
and Church of Wales Building.
1. Entry number in the marriage
register
2. Names of the parties to the
Marriage
3. Age The age given by the bride
and groom at the time of marriage,
this is only as accurate as they
believe it to be. ‘Full’ indicates 21
or over.
4. Condition Marital status at time of
marriage, e.g. bachelor/spinster,
widow/widower or previous
marriage dissolved.
5. Rank or Profession. From 4
th
May
2023 this changed to record the
occupation of the parties.
6. Residence at the time of marriage
Until 1995, for a marriage to take
place in a register office, or
religious buildings; one of
7. the couple had to live within that
registration district. This rule didn’t
always apply to couples marrying in
a Church of England and Church of
Wales Building.
7. Name and profession of father With
the exception of an adoptive father,
the name entered in this column
should be that of the birth father.
8. Depending upon the date of the
marriage; Profession of the birth
father or adoptive father. From 17
th
August 2007, the profession of the
stepfather could be recorded in the
registration: and from 4
th
May 2021,
the occupation of each Mother,
Father, Parent recorded in space 6
could be recorded.
The names of the Witness are
underneath the above columns: This
will be marked with an “X” if the
person could not write
1
7
8
6
5
4
3
2
21
6
Death certificate help sheet
(*for deaths registered before 1 April 1969)
The columns on the death certificate show:
1. Entry number in the death register and
when and where the person died
2. Name and surname This is the
name used at time of death, which is
not always the same name given at
birth.
3. Sex of the deceased
4. Age The informant gives the
deceased’s age at the time of
death to the best of their knowledge
and belief; therefore it is possible
that this may not be accurate.
5. Occupation If the deceased
is female, the occupation of the
deceased’s father or male spouse,
current or former, living or dead might
be given.
6. Cause of death
7. Signature, description and
residence of informant: Marked
with an ’X’ if the informant was
unable to write. After 1875, the
relationship of the informant to the
deceased was given.
8. Date of Registration
9. Signature of registrar In the case
3
3
22
of a death registered more than
three months from the date of death
the signature of the Superintendent
Registrar will also be included.
Annex C
* On 1 April 1969 the law relating to death registrations was amended resulting
in a change to the format of a death certificate. This information relates to
deaths registered before 1 April 1969.
4
5
5
6
7
8
9
23
What records does the General Register
Office hold?
Events recorded in England and Wales
Record held
Explanation
From - to
Birth and death
records
A record of all births and deaths
recorded
July 1837 - 6 months prior
to the present date
Marriage records
A record of all marriages recorded
July 1837 - the present
date
Civil Partnership
records
A record of all civil partnerships
recorded
2005 - the present date
Thomas Coram
Register
A record of children given into the
care of the Founding Hospital
1853 - 1948
Adopted Children
Register
A record of all adoptions granted by
courts
1927 - present date
Stillbirth register
A record of all stillbirths recorded
1927 - present date
Parental Order
Register
A record of all births that have been
re-registered on production of a court
order where a child has been born
via a surrogacy agreement
1994 -present date
Presumption of
Death Register
A record of all events recorded in the
Presumption of Death Register
2015 - present date
Events recorded abroad
Record held
Explanation
From - to
Regimental records
Records of births/baptisms,
marriages and some deaths relating
to British Army Regiments
1761 - 1924
Chaplains returns
Army Chaplains records of baptisms,
marriages and deaths
1796 - 1880
24
Events recorded abroad (cont.)
Record held
Explanation
From - to
Ionian Islands
records
Births, marriages and deaths of the
British Garrison on Corfu
1818 - 1864
Marine records
Births and deaths at sea
1837 - present date
Consular records
Births, marriages, civil partnerships
and deaths of British Subjects
registered at British Consulates
1849 - 12 months prior to the
present date (birth, marriage
and death). 2005 - present
date (civil partnership)
Army records
Births, marriages and deaths of
members of the British Army or their
families which took place abroad
1881 - 1965
War deaths
Deaths of serving personnel during
the Boer War
World War 1
World War 2
1899 - 1902
1914 - 1921
1939 - 1948
Aircraft records
Births and deaths on board British
registered aircraft
1947 - present date
Foreign Marriage
and Civil Partnership
certificates
Certificates deposited with the
General Register Office
1948 - 2013 (marriages)
2005 - 2013
(civil
partnerships)
High Commission
records
Births and deaths of British
subjects registered at British High
Commissions
1949 - present date
Armed Forces
records
Births, marriages, civil partnerships
and deaths of members of the
Armed Forces or their families
1965 - present date (birth,
marriage and death).
2005 - present date (civil
partnerships)
Installation deaths
Deaths of workers on British Oil and
Gas rigs
1971 - present date
Hovercraft records
Births and deaths on British
registered hovercrafts
1972 - present date
