England & Wales Civil Registration Information

Civil Registration of English and Welsh births, deaths and marriages began in September 1837. The General Register Office maintains a national index of all births, marriages and deaths registered in England and Wales. The index for each year is split into quarters (March, June, September & December), and is arranged alphabetically by surname.

Access the complete birth, marriage, and death indexes for free at Ancestry UK's Genealogy Record Collection which includes:

Complete BMD Index ranges & Images 1837-1983 - This collection works on name ranges and locates the relevant index page. You can then easily scroll around the page to find the person you are searching for.
- Births
- Marriages
- Deaths

Partial FreeBMD Indexes & Images 1837-1983 - Find birth, marriage and death records from 1837 to around 1910. You’ll find the individual transcribed entry for the person being searched for and can also link to index page images here.
- Births
- Marriages
- Deaths

Complete BMD Indexes 1984-2004 - This collection is transcribed meaning you’ll find the individual entry for the person you are searching for here
- Births
- Marriages
- Deaths

Using Birth, Marriage and Death Indexes - is a tutorial on how to search the Indexes.

Information Found on a Birth Certificate:
Date and place of birth
Full name and sex of the child
Full name and maiden surname of the mother
Full name and occupation of the father
The informant's name, address, and relationship to the child

Information Found on a Marriage Certificate
Date and place of marriage
Marital status of the bride and groom
Whether by banns, license, or certificate
Names and ages of the bride and groom
Current addresses and occupations of the bride and groom
Names and occupations of their fathers
Names of witnesses

Information Found on a Death Certificate
Name of the deceased
Date and place of death
Age - after 1866
Occupation - or name and occupation of husband if the deceased is a married or widowed woman
Name, address, and family relationship of the informant
Date and place of birth
Address of the deceased
Maiden name - if a married or widowed woman

Ordering Birth, Marriage or Death Certificates

The General Register Office is the official site for information on births, marriages and deaths. Ordering certificates explains how to obtain records from the Public Record Office.

Be sure to visit Looking 4 Kin Genealogy Links and Chat.

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