What information do Birth and Death Certificates tell you?
Birth Certificates
A birth certificate is one of the most reliable sources for family history because it records information close to the time of a person’s birth, making it less likely to contain errors caused by fading memories.
Some of the reasons it is such a valuable record include:
- Confirms identity by recording the person’s full name, date and place of birth.
- Identifies parents, often including both parents’ names and the mother’s maiden surname.
- Provides family relationships, helping to link one generation to the next.
- Shows where the family lived at the time of the birth, giving clues about where to search for census records, electoral registers, or school records.
- Records the father’s occupation (on many historical certificates), which can help distinguish between people with the same name and provide insight into the family’s social and economic circumstances.
- Names the informant, showing who registered the birth and sometimes revealing another close family member.
- Acts as evidence to verify information found in other records, such as census returns, baptism records, marriage certificates, and death certificates.
For genealogists, a birth certificate is often the starting point for building a family tree because it provides several key pieces of information that can be used to locate additional records and confirm family connections.
Death Certificates
A death certificate is a valuable source of information because it records important details about a person’s death and can provide clues about their life, family, and where to look for additional records.
It can help you to:
- Confirm the date and place of death, establishing the end of a person’s life.
- Record the deceased’s full name, helping to verify their identity.
- Provide the age at death, allowing you to estimate or confirm a birth year.
- Show the usual address, giving clues about where the person lived.
- Record their occupation, which can help distinguish them from others with the same name.
- State the cause of death, offering insight into their health and the circumstances of their death.
- Name the informant, who was often a spouse, child, sibling, or another close relative, providing evidence of family relationships.
- Help locate burial or cremation records, which may contain further information about the individual and other family members.
For genealogists, a death certificate is useful because it helps confirm a person’s identity, completes their life story, and can lead to additional records such as probate documents, cemetery records, newspaper obituaries, and funeral records. When used alongside birth and marriage certificates, it helps build a more complete and accurate picture of an ancestor’s life.
Where and how to order your certificates (England & Wales)
The best place to order birth, marriage and death (BMD) certificates is from the General Register Office (GRO).
The General Register Office is the official government body responsible for civil registration records in England and Wales. Ordering directly from the GRO is often the most reliable option, especially for older records.
When ordering you will need a GRO index reference, this can be found on their website for the following dates –
Birth Certificates – 1837-1934, 1984 up to 2 years ago
Death Certificates – 1837-1957, 1984 up to 2 years ago
(Alternative index sources are FreeBMD, FamilySearch, Ancestry and FindMyPast)
Once you have the index reference and are ready to place your order, you have three options to choose from – Digital image, PDF or Certificate. Each one contains exactly the same information – the only difference is the layout and presentation. (For genealogy purposes I would always opt for the Digital Image where possible as its cheaper and available immediately)
Digital Image
- Cost £3.00 ready to view and download immediately
- Birth options available 1837 – up to 100 years ago
- Death options available 1837 – 1957
- Cost £8.00 ready to download approximately 5 days from your ‘My orders’ on the GRO website
- Birth options available 1837 – up to 100 years ago
- Death options available 1837 – 1957
Certificate
- Cost £12.50 usually despatched on the 4th working day from order
- Birth options available 1837 – up to 2 years ago
- Death options available 1837 – up to 2 years ago
What information do Marriage Certificates tell you?
Marriage Certificates
A marriage certificate is an excellent source of information because it records details about two people and often identifies the previous generation, making it one of the most useful documents for family history research.
It can help you to:
- Confirm the date and place of the marriage, establishing an important event in a person’s life.
- Identify both spouses by recording their full names.
- Provide ages or dates of birth, helping to estimate when they were born.
- Show occupations, giving insight into their lives and helping distinguish between people with the same name.
- Record their residences at the time of the marriage, providing clues about where they lived.
- Name their fathers (and, on modern UK certificates, both parents), helping you trace the family back another generation.
- Include the names of witnesses, who were often relatives or close friends and may provide additional clues to family relationships.
- Confirm marital status, such as whether the bride and groom were single, widowed, or divorced.
For genealogists, a marriage certificate is particularly valuable because it links two families together and provides evidence that can be used to verify information found in birth certificates, census records, parish registers, and other historical documents. It is often the key record that helps researchers move back another generation in their family tree.
Where and how to order your Marriage certificates (England & Wales)
As with Birth and Death certificates, the best place to order from is the General Register Office (GRO), but before you do, be sure to check websites such as Ancestry, Findmypast and FamilySearch. You may find the information you need there first, which could save you the cost of ordering a certificate.
There are thousands of parish records available on both free and subscription websites. As most marriages took place in a church, there’s a good chance you’ll find a copy of the original parish register entry or a transcript without needing to order a certificate, potentially saving you money.
Parish record
- Generally available on subscription sites (or free sites if you are lucky)
- Transcribed records can also be available
- Availability varies from different sites
Certificate
- Cost £12.50 usually despatched on the 4th working day from order received
- You would need to search for the index reference via the alternative sources as mentioned on the birth and death certificates.
- If you wish the GRO to search the index reference for you, there is an extra charge of £3.50
The exact information recorded varies by country, region, and time period. When used together, birth and death certificates can help confirm family relationships, establish timelines, and provide clues for finding other records such as census returns, marriage certificates, and burial records.
It is also important to remember that even official records are only as reliable as the information provided by the individuals involved and the accuracy of the person who recorded it. Ages, names, occupations, places of birth, and family relationships were sometimes given incorrectly—either through misunderstanding, poor memory, deliberate misrepresentation, or simple human error. Clerks and ministers could also make mistakes when recording information or interpreting spellings.
If you have any questions, or need any help with anything send me a message or go over to the friendly facebook group The Family History Collective and ask on there.