neBMD FAQs
Q. How can I obtain information about births, marriages and deaths?
A. You have to apply for a certificate in every case; the fee for a certificate
is £7-00.
Q. Is there no way I can look at the register entries themselves?
A. Sorry, no - the registers are covered by statute that prevents this. The
Government does intend to change this law, to open up the older records to the
public. We shall of course let you know when this happens.
Q. Do I have to apply separately to individual Register Offices?
A. Yes, because each local authority has to receive the appropriate fee.
Q. How do I pay?
A. Check with each Register Office - but for most, you can go there personally
and pay cash, send a cheque or postal order, or pay by credit or debit card.
Q. When did registration start?
A. July 1837.
Q. How do I know if I am obtaining the certificate I want?
A. You are always welcome to ask the Register Office - for example: ask if
the John Smith birth is the son of Joseph and Freda. The reply will be yes or
no. Some Register Offices have an e-mail facility to do this.
Q. If I can't find the record I want on the index sites, where do I go next?
A. First - check the content of the site. Although there are millions of index
references loaded, all sites are still in the process of uploading. If it is
not yet on the site, you will need to phone. Second - the event might have taken
place elsewhere. Try other regional sites, or the national index on 1837online.com
Q. What information is on a certificate?
A. Marriages - date and place, full names, ages, marital status, occupations,
names and occupations of fathers.
Births - date and place, name, gender, parents' names and addresses; mother - any previous surname; father occupation.
Deaths - date and place, name, gender, address, cause of death; for males, occupation; for females name of husband, if any. Child death, details of father.
Content for births and deaths increased from new rules in 1969.
- Speciman Marriage Certificate 1837 to date
- Speciman Death Certificate 1837 to 1969
- Speciman Birth Certificate 1837 to 1969
- Speciman Death Certificate 1969 to date
- Speciman Birth Certificate 1969 to 1995
- Speciman Birth Certificate 1995 to date
- Speciman Short Abbreviated Birth Certificate
Adobe Acrobat Files
Adobe Acrobat files require the Acrobat Reader, a free utility readily available
from Adobe either by download
or from the cover CD disks of many Internet and computing magazines.
If your system already has Acrobat Reader you can open the downloads and print them on your own computer.
