Discover your ancestors who were born, got married, or died in England and Wales from 1837 to 1983. The records may reveal the location, year, and quarter of your relatives’ significant life events. Also included are the district, volume, and page number, which will enable you to find their certificates more easily.
Discover your ancestors who were born, got married, or died in England and Wales from 1837 to 1983. The records may reveal the location, year, and quarter of your relatives’ significant life events. Also included are the district, volume, and page number, which will enable you to find their certificates more easily.
Each record comprises a black and white image of the original register. The amount of information listed varies, but the records usually include a combination of the following information about your ancestor:
• First name(s)
• Last name
• Birth quarter
• Birth year
• Mother’s maiden name
• Marriage year
• Marriage quarter
• Death year
• Death quarter
• District
• Volume
• Page
The record set comprises over 1,954,000 records.
They include a mixture of typewritten and handwritten registers of births, deaths, and marriages.
There are 816,537 birth records, 549,791 death records, and 587,925 marriage records.
In the birth records, there are a number of ‘Unknown’ last names, and in some ‘First name’ fields, the gender is listed.
Advantages of using our Browse function
The ‘Browse’ function replicates how users would have searched the original volumes at the Family Records Centre in London and other registry offices, so we’re providing you with the ability to choose how to access the records. Using the Browse is a very methodical approach and can be useful if you are searching for as yet unknown individuals between a fairly narrow range of dates. This is especially important in probate genealogy, when omitting an individual would mean potentially failing to research an entire branch of a family, and thus failing to ensure all heirs get a share of an estate they are legally entitled to.
Also, if a name is commonly transcribed incorrectly, browsing can help you to find them.
Finally, if you are certain of the date of an event, but less certain of the name, browsing can be a quicker way to find likely candidate.
Once you've discovered when and where your ancestor was born, married or died by using findmypast's birth, marriage and death records, you can order a certified copy of their birth, marriage or death certificate from the General Register Office (GRO). This service is available both to UK and non-UK residents and covers births, marriages and deaths registered in England and Wales, as well as certain registrations overseas.
English and Welsh birth, marriage and death certificates are considered public records, so anyone can order a copy of them. If you are enquiring about a more recent birth or death certificate (recorded within the last 50 years), the GRO will require more detailed information from you than for older certificates. The easiest way to order a certificate is online through the GOV.UK website: www.gov.uk
The certificate ordering service is not connected to Findmypast. If you have any queries regarding certificates, please contact the GRO directly by email, telephone or post using the details below. You can also order certificates from the GRO by contacting them in this way.
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +44 (0)300 123 1837
Address: Certificate Services Section
General Register Office
PO Box 2
Southport
PR8 2JD