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Ordering BMD Certificates in England & Wales

Ordering BMD Certificates in England & Wales

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Civil registration for births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales began in 1837. Entries are stored at the General Registry Office (GRO), from where certificates can be purchased. Currently, a full certificate costs £12.50 and usually takes around 7 to 10 working days to arrive by 2nd Class Royal Mail postage. For many birth and death entries, a pdf certificate can be ordered for £8.00, or a digital copy of the entry (not a certificate) for £3.00. However, not…

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1921 Census

1921 Census

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The 1921 Census was taken on the evening of the 19th June 1921 in England, Wales, Isle of Man, Channel Islands and Scotland. There was no census taken in Ireland in 1921 due to the War of Independence, the first censuses taken independently in the Irish Free State and in Northern Ireland were on 18 April 1926. Where can the census be viewed? Find My Past and Ancestry have the 1921 Census for England, Wales, Isle of Man and the…

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Civil Registration in Great Britain and Ireland

Civil Registration in Great Britain and Ireland

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Birth, marriage and death certificates are invaluable to genealogists. In Great Britain and Ireland, civil registration began in the 19th century: Before those dates, we need to rely on parish records. England and Wales Birth, marriage or death certificates for England or Wales can be obtained from the General Register Office. Currently (July 2024) hard copies received through the post cost £12.50. You can save money by ordering a pdf for £7, or digital certificate for £3 for birth entries…

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Julian To Gregorian Calendars

Julian To Gregorian Calendars

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It’s likely you will have come across dates where the transcribed year appears in the format 1748/49, using both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Before 1752 the UK used the Julian Calendar, after 1752 the Gregorian Calendar came into use. Whilst the Gregorian Calendar uses 1 January as New Year’s Day, in the Julian Calendar it was 25th March. The relevance of this to genealogists It’s natural for us today to glance at dates and see December as the end…

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Transcription Errors

Transcription Errors

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We all make mistakes, transcribers and the original form writers (whether they be parish clerks or census enumerators) included. As we know, it’s important to check original documents whenever possible and not trust in just the transcription, but sometimes the details on original documents should be taken with a pinch of salt. Poor Handwriting I would imagine that most people researching their family history have come across a few transcription errors – usually names that have been mis-transcribed from difficult…

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Catholic Records In England

Catholic Records In England

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If your ancestors were Catholic, you may find that you struggle to find parish records online. The National Archives has provided a guide to help in research. Between 1754 (Marriage Act) and 1837 it was a legal requirement for all marriages to take place in an Anglican church. Many Catholics also married in a Catholic church, with the record of this marriage never being handed in to the authorities. Because of this, some Catholic baptism and burial records that were…

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Ireland’s Lost Records

Ireland’s Lost Records

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Many of Ireland’s historic records were destroyed by a fire in 1922. Now a project is hoping to bring many of these records back to life. What happened to the original records? In the mid 19th century, it was feared that records, particularly those held by parishes, were in danger of deteriorating and being destroyed. In 1867 the UK parliament passed the Public Records (Ireland) Act, which was further amended in 1873. The act instructed that all court, probate and…

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Euxton Catholics

Euxton Catholics

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Euxton in Lancashire was home to two of Lancashire’s oldest Catholic families, the Andertons and the Molyneuxs. The Molyneuxs were the biggest landowners in the area, while the Andertons initially leased and later purchased Euxton Hall from them. One branch of my maternal family, the Higginson were Catholics from Euxton who worshipped in secret at Euxton Hall during Catholic persecution in the 17th century. Euxton Hall History St Mary’s Catholic Church, Euxton There has been a Catholic church in Euxton…

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1939 Register

1939 Register

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The 1939 Register is a snapshot of live in England and Wales at the beginning of World War II. It was taken on Friday, 29th September, under the National Registration Act of 1939, an act of parliament introduced as an emergency measure preceding the start of World War II. The register’s importance to genealogists is increased because there was no 1941 census, and the 1931 census was destroyed in a fire in 1942. What does the register show us? Address,…

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Census Guide for UK & Ireland

Census Guide for UK & Ireland

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Updated: September 2024 In the United Kingdom, a census of the population has been taken every 10 years since 1801, except for 1941 (although a similar register was taken on 29 September 1939, shortly before the outbreak of war).In Ireland, the census was taken along with the UK census until 1911. No census, was taken in Ireland in 1921 because of the Civil War. The first census taken by the Irish government was in 1926. Census records are released to…

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