Discover your Family History

Birth, marriage and death certificates can prove valuable when building your family tree. Each of these events will have played a significant role in your relative’s lives and can be used to effectively piece together the story of your family history.



In 1837 it became compulsory for all births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales to be recorded at the district register office. In Scotland this type of registration was introduced in 1855 and Ireland followed suit in 1864 for the recording of births and deaths with marriages documented from 1845 onwards. To trace back any further than these dates you need access to parish records which are available from local churches or archives offices.



There are also websites specifically designed to help with researching your family tree, making it possible to complete the whole process from the comfort of your own home and giving you access to different sets of records, all at the touch of a button.



In England & Wales, there are two sets of birth, marriage and death indexes. The original sets are managed by local register offices whereas the secondary set of indexes is held by the General Register Office (GRO).

When researching your family history it is most reliable to consult the original indexes before searching secondary records and it is essential to create your family tree by working backwards from the present day.



Before you search through birth, marriage and death indexes, use your own knowledge to note all significant dates and events in your family history. Meet with other family members and find out what they can remember, using as many family records and items of memorabilia as possible. Obtaining family names and other snippets of information can help when you are searching through birth, marriage and death records for clues.



Building a family tree yourself would require many hours of research as well as the knowledge of where to look for certain records. In addition to birth, marriage and death documentation, you can also use Census and parish records, as well as many other resources.



It is worthwhile considering the use of a professional ancestry research organisation. This helps you to save time as well as helping to ensure the information you discover is accurate and reliable and gives you access to records you may not have otherwise been able to find.



Look for an ancestry research organisation which has complete sets of birth, marriage and death records, dating back to 1837. Fully indexed birth records, marriage records and death records are another feature to look out for as this function allows you to quickly and accurately ascertain whether you have found your ancestors or not.



Family ancestry search websites that allow you to search for free are beneficial as you can carry out the initial groundwork without paying to do so. You can then usually view original records and transcripts for a fee.