Source:England and Wales. Civil Registration Indexes

A variety of indexes of births, marriages and deaths are maintained for England and Wales. For births, marriages, deaths and civil partnerships in England and Wales there are two indexes which record each event. The first is a local index of the registration district where the event took place and was actually registered. The second is a national index covering the whole of England and Wales which was compiled from returns made by each local registrar. Births, marriages and deaths are indexed from 1 July 1837. Civil partnerships are indexed from 1 January 2005.

Adoptions and still births in England and Wales have been registered since January and July 1927 respectively. Unlike other events in England and Wales adoptions and still births are only indexed centrally by the General Register Office. Still birth certificates are more restricted in their availability and are only issued automatically to close relatives of the stillborn child. The Registrar General has discretion over whether to issue them to other parties.

Up to the end of 1983 the indexes were compiled by quarter of the year for March, June, September and December. From 1984 onwards there has been a single index for each year.

It is important to note that the birth, death, marriage, civil partnership, adoption and still birth registers of the General Register Office only cover events taking place in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland maintain completely separate systems for the registration of vital events. The correct sources to use for births, marriages, deaths, civil partnerships, adoptions and still births in England and Wales as recorded in the General Register Office indexes are:

• Source:England. England and Wales Civil Registration Birth Index
• Source:England. England and Wales Civil Registration Marriage Index
• Source:England. England and Wales Civil Registration Death Index
• Source:England. England and Wales Civil Registration Civil Partnership Index
• Source:England. England and Wales Civil Registration Adoption Index
• Source:England. England and Wales Civil Registration Stillbirth Index

Vital Records Certificates

If the source you are referencing is an copy of a vital records certificate from England or Wales, the general source is Source:England and Wales. Civil Registration Certificates. If you wish to obtain a copy of a vital record indexed in the Civil Registration Index, see Using the General Register Office to research family history, a UK government site.