England & Wales

What Records are available for England and Wales?

There are two types of certificates that you can order through our service.

  1. Certified Birth, Death & Marriage Certificate (Certificate)
    or
  2. Uncertified PDF Birth & Death Certificates (Printout)

The information is the same, but the price, turnaround and availability differs. See below for more information.

Uncertified English Certificate – Printout

A Photo copy of the original registration.

Available for Births from 1837- 1922.

Available for Deaths from 1837 – 1957.

A great resource for Family History purposes. Cannot be used for legal purposes.

Certified English Certificates

Official Birth, Death and Marriage Certificates from the GRO.

Beginning in the July-September Quarter of 1837.

Can be used for Legal purposes.

What information is provided on an English Certificate?

BirthsDeathsMarriages
Date and Place of BirthDate of DeathDate of Marriage
Father’s Name and OccupationPlace of Death – Full AddressName of Bride & Groom
Mother’s Married and Maiden name Names and Sex of deceasedAge:
Minor = under 21; Full = 21 and over
Date RegisteredAge (may be estimated for older people)Bachelor/Spinster, Widow/er, Divorcee
Name and Address of InformantOccupation for Men and Single Women.
Name of Spouse for Married Women
Occupation
Any name given at Baptism,
reported to the Registrar after registration
Cause of DeathResidence (not always full the address)
Nature and Duration of IllnessFather’s Name and Occupation
Medical Attendant’s nameMarriage by Banns or License
Date RegisteredDenomination of the Church
Name and Address of InformantCouples Signature or Mark
Corrections or Additional DetailsWitnesses, their signature or Mark

 * 1851-1911 Census may provide additional information, not recorded in certificates.

What do I need to provide to make an order?

We need the GRO (General Registry Office) reference number in order to apply for a certificate. This reference number includes the Name, Year, Quarter, District, Volume and Page number.

This number can be accessed online at findmypast (official site) or freebmd .  (The freebmd site, is not an official site and not a complete compilation of indexes, however it is free).

What is the Turnaround?

Please note that due to COVID-19 there may be some delay with ordering overseas certificates

Allow 4-5 weeks for the Certified Certificates

1-2 weeks for the Uncertified Certificates (PDFs)

Uncertified certificates can be returned by e-mail. certificates returned to you by regular post, or by registered mail (see form for price details).

See a sample certificate

Sample Birth Certificate

Sample Death Certificate

Sample Marriage Certificate