In the United Kingdom, vital records are referred to as documents of civil registration.[1] These are certificates of birth, marriage and death which are issued in England and Wales by the General Register Office (GRO). These official certificates were first used from 1st July 1837. Today for a small charge you can order a copy of a birth, marriage or death certificate to help you to trace your family tree. This may be as a paper copy, a PDF document or an instant digital download depending on the type of event and the year in which it was registered. In Scotland, certificates came into use from 1855 and can be paid for via ScotlandsPeople.
Birth certificates in the UKBirth certificates in the UK
The 1868 birth certificate of George Edward Meek
The information supplied on a birth certificate in England and Wales from 1837-1969 is as follows:
Registration district and sub-district
County of registration
Date and place of birth
Child's full name
Child's sex
Father's name and occupation (if the name is left blank this usually means the child was born illegitimately)
Mother's name including her maiden name and any other surnames she was previously known by
Name of the informant with their residence and relationship to the child
Date of registration
Registrar's signature
On 1st April 1969 the certificates were changed to show the place of birth of both child's parents. A further change in 1984 created a space to record the occupation of the child's mother. Scottish birth certificates can be ordered from 1855. In addition to the details above, they also state the date and location of the child's parents’ marriage.
Marriage certificates in the UKMarriage certificates in the UK
The information supplied on a marriage certificate in England and Wales from 1837-2021 is as follows:
The 1944 marriage certificate of Andrew Crawford Fletcher and Dorothy Maud CliffordLocation of marriage, including county
Date of marriage
Full name of the bride and groom
Their age (may be written as 'full age' if over the age of 21)
Their marital status
Their occupations
Their place of residence (may be a parish or specific address)
Their fathers' names and occupations (it may state if they are deceased)
Whether the couple married by banns or licence
The name of the person who performed the ceremony
The signature or mark of the bride and groom
Signatures of two or more witnesses
From 2021 marriages are recorded in an electronic register rather than a paper register. There has also been an additional data entry point added for the name of the mother of both the bride and groom.
Death certificates in the UKDeath certificates in the UK
The 1967 death certificate of Annette Karen Savory
The information supplied on a death certificate in England and Wales from 1837-1969 is as follows:
Registration district and sub-district
County of registration
Date and place of death
Name of the deceased
Sex
Age
Occupation
Cause of death
The name of the informant, their address and their relation to the deceased (if any)
Date of registration
Signature of the registrar
In addition to the above some extra details may be given in rare cases, including a time of death. From 1969 the date and place of birth for the deceased is also given. In Scotland, death certificates give additional information to the above which can greatly help with research. This includes the names of former spouses and also the names of both parents.
Potential issues with vital records in the UKPotential issues with vital records in the UK
There are a number of limitations with birth, marriage and death certificates. These include:
Details on a birth and death certificate were given by the informant who may purposefully or mistakenly give incorrect information. A grandparent may register a child's birth and give a false father's details or a neighbour may act as an informant to a death and give the wrong age of the deceased for example.
Marriages are registered on the day of the event. Births and deaths may be registered over a month after the event. This means when searching for the events in the GRO index, they may appear in the following quarter or even the following year if the event occured in December and was not registered until January.
The name on a person's birth and death certificate may change. This is most likely in the case of a woman changing her name after marriage. This may also be if a person dropped their middle name, decided to be known by their middle name instead of their original first name or changed their name for other reasons including to evade the law or to receive an inheritance.
Accessing UK vital recordsAccessing UK vital records
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