Content of Subscriptions

Complete Birth, Marriage & Death records index for England and Wales as published by the GRO.

In database format from 1837 - 2005 (Marriages), 1837 - 2005 (Births) and 1837 - 2005 (Deaths). Images of the original index pages are available between 1983 and 1837. A total of over a quarter of a BILLION events. Service includes full surname, forename and initial indexing to improve accuracy within index searches.

Our unique surname distribution mapping facility will enable you to display a colour-coded printable map of any surname.

SmartSearch is a new way of searching the data for 1984 onwards. It utilises an intelligent search system to perform a reverse look-up:

• Search for the children born to a couple using the father's surname and mother's maiden name.
• See the details for either partner in a marriage.
• Find the birth record from the death record at the click of a button.

Certificates for births, marriages or deaths in England or Wales can be ordered online through the GRO using the references provided by this index.

Ordering certificates

Certificates for births, marriages or deaths in England or Wales can be ordered online through the GRO. To order a certificate, simply follow the instructions on the GRO website, supplying the necessary data and a GRO Index reference. The full reference is usually a volume and page reference or an 'entry number' for later records, given with the year, quarter and district. This can be found by viewing the full record detail when searching BMD records online. Events from the last 50 years will require you to supply more information at application stage.

Online access to Deaths of British Service Personnel throughout the world during the second World War.

Online access to Deaths of British Service Personnel during the Great War.

The General Register Office's Marine Registers record deaths at sea on ships registered in Great Britain or Ireland from 1 July 1837

Online access to the Official Non-Parochial BMDs Service. Records of birth, baptism, marriage, death and burial taken from non parish sources:-Methodists, Wesleyans, Baptists, Independents, Protestant Dissenters, Congregationalist, Presbyterians, and Unitarians, Quakers and Fleet Marriages plus many more. The record sets included are:

• RG4 – Early Registers (authenticated by the Non-Parochial Registers Commissioners) of births, baptisms, deaths, burials and marriages. They cover dates from 1567 to 1858.
• RG5 – Early Birth Certificates from the Presbyterian, Independent and Baptist Registry and from the Wesleyan Methodist Metropolitan Registry. They cover dates from 1742 to 1840.
• RG6 - The Society of Friends' (Quakers) Registers, Notes and Certificates of Births, Marriages and Burials ranging from 1578-1841.
• RG7 – Fleet Marriages. The collection of registers and notebooks of Clandestine Marriages and Baptisms in the Fleet Prison, King's Bench Prison, the Mint and the May Fair Chapel ranging from 1667-c1777.
• RG8 – Early GRO Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths surrendered to the Non Parochial Registers Commission of 1857. Among the more extensive collections in this series are the registers of the British Lying-in Hospital, Holborn, which record particulars of births and baptisms. These cover the period 1749 to 1868 and are very detailed. Burial records, registers of the Chapels Royal and the archive of the Russian Orthodox Church in London.
• RG32: Registers Abroad and on British & Foreign Ships 1831-1969General Register Office:Overseas Births, Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths and Burials Abroad and on British & Foreign ships, of British subjects, nationals of the colonies, the Commonwealth and countries under British jurisdiction. Also Lundy Island Devon and Channel Island records. Events affecting some foreign nationals are also included. Records consist mainly of certificates issued by foreign registration authorities, which are in local languages, and copies of entries kept by incumbents of English churches and missions, chaplains and burial authorities. These cover the period 1831 to 1969 and are very detailed.
• RG33 - GRO:Overseas Birth, Marriage, death and Burial of British Subjects including those onboard ships. Also Lundy Island Devon. Original registers, notebooks and copies of entries in registers kept by incumbents of English churches and missions, British embassies and legations etc. These cover the period 1627 to 1960 and are very detailed.
• RG34 - General Register Office: Worldwide Foreign Marriage Returns. More than 38,000 individuals are recorded in the overseas marriages records which include British subjects marrying abroad. These newly added records were previously only viewable on microfilm at The National Archives as the RG 34 series. Many of the marriage certificates were issued by the authorities in the country concerned in the local language. These have been translated to provide a searchable database and links to a digital image of the original record.

  Included in this series you can find:

  • Marriage registers of British churches abroad.
  • There is also a collection of marriages between British soldiers in France, Flanders and Holland during and after the First World War, including many who had been prisoners of war.

  The sources of these records covering British Citizens are worldwide and include marriage certificates issued by foreign registration authorities and churches, copies of entries in the registers kept by British embassies, incumbents of English churches and chaplains, notification of marriages of servicemen during service abroad, and documents deposited for safekeeping. These cover the period 1861 to 1921.

• RG36 Registers and Returns of Births, Marriages and Deaths in the Protectorates etc of Africa and Asia Covering dates 1895-1965. Notifications of birth, marriage and death forwarded by officials responsible for civil registration under administrative ordinances in Nyasaland, Kenya, Somaliland, Uganda, Sudan, Palestine, Sarawak, Malaya, including Johore and Selangor, and British North Borneo.
• BT158 Registry of Shipping and Seamen: Registers of Births, Deaths and Marriages of Passengers at Sea. Covering dates 1854-1908.
• BT159 Registry of Shipping and Seamen: Registers of Deaths at Sea of British Nationals. Covering dates 1875-1888
• BT160 Registry of Shipping and Seamen: Registers of Births at Sea of British Nationals. Covering dates 1875-1891

The General Register Office's Army, Marine, Air Force, High Commission, Regimental, Consular and Ionian Islands BMDs.

The records show name, regiment, vessel, station, location or consulate along with volume and page number (where given).

These BMD records can help you trace your ancestors who served in the forces. They are provided with greyscale and black and white images of the original GRO microfiches.

The set includes:

Marine Births 1837-1915

Army Births & Registers, Marriages and Deaths 1747-1980

Consular Birth, Marriages, Deaths 1849-1915

Informal Certificates of Birth at Sea 1839 - 1867

Ionian Island Births, Marriages, Deaths 1818 - 1864

Regimental Births: 1407 - 1997