CERTIFICATES
England & Wales
What appears on a full birth certificate?
Place and date of birth.
Sex and names of child.
Name and occupation of father.
Name and maiden name of mother.
Name, description and address of informant.
What appears on a marriage certificate?
Place and date of marriage.
Names, ages, occupations, addresses, and marital status of parties.
Names and occupations of fathers of the parties.
Names of the witnesses.
Name of officiating minister/priest.
What appears on a death certificate?
Place, date and cause of death.
Name, age, sex and occupation of deceased.
Nb: In the case of a deceased woman, the occupation may show her marital status,
For example; `Widow of...'
Name and address of informant.
BIRTH, ADOPTION, MARRIAGE AND DEATH INDEXES:
Compulsory registration of births, marriages and deaths commenced in England and Wales on 1st July 1837.
Up until the 1870s it was possible that an event was not registered.
Consult the relevant parish registers as an alternative.
Birth indexes from September 1911 list the mother's maiden name which proves useful for obtaining the correct index for a certificate, especially if the name is a common one.
If a birth cannot be located in the indexes, especially if it is the first child of a marriage, check under the mother's maiden name.
The year you are searching may be incorrect: search two years either side. Also, check under other surname variations, and in different districts.
Bear in mind that sometimes births were late registrations. For instance a birth in the December quarter of one year, may appear in the March quarter of the following year.
The name a child was baptised by, or known by in later life, may differ from the name used in registration.
Records of Adoption from 1st January 1927: Adopted Children Register.
A full certificate gives adoptive details.
These indexes only relate to legal adoptions in England and Wales.
If you don't know the birth name of the person being searched for, you will need to take further steps.
There are procedures to follow, and organizations which can assist you. Please ask for details.
Marriage indexes from March 1912 list the surname of the second party next to the details of the first party, which proves useful for obtaining the correct index for a certificate, especially if the name is a common one.
Death indexes from March 1866 list the age of the deceased at time of death.
If a death cannot be located in the indexes bear in mind that the death might have been registered late pending an investigation and search for up to two years following the death date.
OTHER INDEXES:
Don't forget that if an entry cannot be located, and the person concerned was possibly a serviceman, or was overseas at the time, to check the following separate indexes:
Records of Births and Deaths at Sea since 1st July 1837: Marine Register Book.
Records of Births and Deaths in Aircraft since 1949: Air Register Book.
Service Records:
Relate to births, marriages and deaths occurring outside the UK, or aboard certain ships and aircraft, among members of the armed forces and some others.
Army registers date mainly from 1881, with some earlier entries.
RAF registers began in 1920.
Consular returns: births, marriages and deaths of British citizens in foreign countries, recorded since July 1849.
REFERENCE CHECKING:
Can be used when you have an index reference but are not sure if it is the correct one.
Submit your application as usual and request a reference check.
If the point you request to be checked is negative, you will receive a partial refund on your application fee.
The reference checking points are:
Birth certificates: Date of birth, Place of birth, Name of child's father, Name or maiden name of child's mother.
Marriage certificates: Date of marriage, Place of marriage, Bride or Groom's father's name.
Death certificates: Date of Death, Place of Death, Occupation, or marital status of female.
If an index from a microfiche or printed copy is unclear, please note this on your application to avoid a checking and re-application fee.
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Updated March 21th 2001